Posts Tagged Voice of the Faithful Focus

Pope defrocks Theodore McCarrick, ex-cardinal accused of sexual abuse
“Pope Francis has expelled Theodore E. McCarrick, a former cardinal and archbishop of Washington, from the priesthood(link is external), after the church found him guilty of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians over decades, the Vatican said on Saturday (Feb. 16). The move appears to be the first time any cardinal has been defrocked for sexual abuse — marking a critical moment in the Vatican’s handling of a scandal that has gripped the church for nearly two decades. It is also the first time an American cardinal has been removed from the priesthood.”By Elizabeth Dias and Jason Horowitz, The New York Times

Australian Cardinal George Pell convicted of child sex abuse
“A high-ranking Catholic official has been convicted of child sex abuse(link is external)and is due to be sentenced Wednesday (Feb. 27). Australian Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis who was in charge of Vatican finances until he was accused, was found guilty of five charges of ‘historical child sexual offenses’ that go back decades. A jury in the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne where Pell, 77, was once archbishop, found the cardinal guilty after two days of deliberation in December.” By Richard Gonzales, National Public Radio

After abuse crisis, Holy Spirit planning new ‘season’ for the church
“The laity may be angry over the most recent revelations of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis, but bishops, particularly younger ones, share in that anger and ‘want to move with real force’ toward solutions and it could yield a new season for the church(link is external), said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Feb. 6.” By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com

Why does the Catholic Church keep failing on sexual abuse, By Emma Green
“A few years after Seán O’Malley took over the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003, at the peak of the clergy sexual-abuse crisis in America(link is external), he led novenas of penance at nine of the city’s most affected parishes. At each church he visited, he lay facedown on the floor before the altar, begging for forgiveness. This is how O’Malley has spent his life in ministry: cleaning up after pedophile priests and their apologists, and serving as the Catholic Church’s public face of repentance and reform.” By Emma Green, The Atlantic

Catholic priests abused 1,000 children in Pennsylvania, report says“Bishops and other leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania covered up child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests over a period of 70 years(link is external), persuading victims not to report the abuse and law enforcement not to investigate it, according to a searing report issued by a grand jury on Tuesday (Aug. 14). The report, which covered six of the state’s eight Catholic dioceses and found more than 1,000 identifiable victims, is the broadest examination yet by a government agency in the United States of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The report said there are likely thousands more victims whose records were lost or who were too afraid to come forward.” By Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times

Albany bishop says laypeople should investigate misconduct by U.S. bishops
“Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany said today (Aug. 6) that laypeople, not bishops, should lead inquiries into allegations of misconduct by U.S. bishops(link is external). Bishop Scharfenberger was responding to an idea advanced by Cardinal Donald Wuerl in an interview published on Aug. 6 by The National Catholic Reporter. He suggested that the U.S. bishops might create a commission of bishops to investigate rumors of sexual misconduct by other bishops, passing concerns on to a Vatican office.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick resigns amid sexual abuse scandal
“Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, from the College of Cardinals, ordering him to a ‘life of prayer and penance’ after allegations that the cardinal sexually abused minors and adult seminarians(link is external) over the course of decades, the Vatican announced on Saturday (Jul. 28). Acting swiftly to contain a widening sex abuse scandal at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope officially suspended the cardinal from the exercise of any public ministry after receiving his resignation letter Friday evening (Jul. 27). Pope Francis also demanded in a statement that the prelate remain in seclusion ‘until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial.’” By Elisabetta Povoledo and Sharon Otterman, The New York Times

ACCOUNTABILITY

Church sex scandal: abuse victims want a full reckoning
“Six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania joined the list this week of those around the U.S. that have been forced to face the ugly truth about child-molesting priests in their ranks. But in dozens of other dioceses, there has been no reckoning(link is external), leading victims to wonder if the Church will ever truly take responsibility or be held accountable.” By Denise Lavoie, Associated Press, on Cruxnow.com

Boston, Lincoln open inquiries into misconduct among seminarians, priests
“Two U.S. bishops opened investigations this month following a series of online allegations reporting sexual misconduct, excessive alcohol abuse and behavior unbefitting the priesthood among seminarians(link is external) and by those overseeing their development. In Boston, the accusations involved St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, with two former seminarians alleging a culture of heavy drinking and illicit sexual behavior among students and with faculty. The other probe focuses on Lincoln, Nebraska — regarded as perhaps the most orthodox diocese in the country — where a series of allegations have emerged, including against a popular, now-deceased vocations director accused of making sexual advances while having seminarians help him shower.” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter

Vatican lawyers explain how Vatican abuse trials function
“Any member of the clergy accused of the sexual abuse of a minor is tried according to procedures outlined in the Code of Canon Law(link is external) and specific norms spelled out in Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (‘Safeguarding the Sanctity of the Sacraments’). Normally those trials take place in the diocese where the crime occurred, but under the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, when the accused is a bishop, it is up to the pope to determine the way to proceed.” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in Cruxnow.com

On Cardinal Sodano and the meaning of ‘accountability’
“Where it gets stickier is when the charge isn’t committing a crime or a cover-up, at least not directly, but simply being on the wrong side of history – showing such poor judgment, such tone-deafness and insensitivity, as to suggest ignorance of the magnitude and depth of the abuse crisis, thereby rendering the Church’s response weaker and less convincing. If there is accountability for that sort of lapse in the Catholic Church(link is external), you certainly couldn’t tell it judging by the current Dean of the College of Cardinals.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Past review board members: independent inquiry into seminarian abuse needed
“In 2002, in the aftermath of the clergy sex abuse scandal, the U.S. bishops created a National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People as a watchdog on the anti-abuse policies, known as the ‘Dallas Charter,’ which the bishops had made the law of the land. Now some members of that initial board are calling for an independent investigation(link is external) of sexual abuse of seminarians and other vulnerable adults, including allegations against one of the country’s most prominent church leaders, retired Archbishop Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C.” By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter

U.S. sisters demand action on sexual abuse crisis
“A group representing 80 percent of Catholic sisters in the United States is adding its support to other sisters around the world who are calling for an end to sexual abuse and harassment of women religious(link is external), an issue brought to light most recently by a story written by The Associated Press. ‘We join with all those demanding the end of a culture that ignores or tolerates sexual abuse of Catholic sisters or any other adult or minor perpetrated by those in positions of trust in the church community,’ the Leadership Conference of Women Religious said in a statement.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

How can the church punish bad bishops?
“The recent sex abuse scandal involving Cardinal Theodore McCarrick raises once again the question of how the church can punish bad priests and bishops(link is external), especially when the state cannot because of the statute of limitations or other reasons. In the bad old days when the church had the Inquisition, the church could sentence bad clerics to prison, torture or death. So, what can the church do today?” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

Australian archbishop convicted of sex abuse cover-ups resigns
“In his second major move on sex abuse in just three days, Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson(link is external) of Adelaide following a conviction earlier this month of failure to report allegations of child sexual abuse. The Vatican announced Wilson’s resignation July 30, just three days after Francis made a historic move in accepting the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals after accusations arose that he sexually abused a 16-year-old altar boy.” By Cruxnow.com Staff

Honduran auxiliary bishop accused of sexual misconduct resigns
“Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Juan José Pineda, auxiliary bishop of Tegucigalpa(link is external), Honduras, following a Vatican investigation into accusations of financial mismanagement and sexual misconduct against seminarians. The bishop, 57, has long been the subject of accusations of financial misdealings, as well as rumors that he offered support to a male companion using archdiocesan funds. He serves under papal advisor and archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga (head of Pope Francis’ council of nine cardinal advisors), who has also been accused of financial misconduct.” By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency

PENNSYLVANIA GRAND JURY REPORT

List: Names, details of 301 Pennsylvania priest sex abuse allegations in Catholic dioceses
“On Aug. 14, Pennsylvania released a statewide grand jury report on what the state attorney general’s office called an ‘honest and comprehensive accounting of widespread sexual abuse by more than 300 priests(link is external).’ The report, more than 800 pages long, lists the name of 301 priests and provides details into specific accusations. The investigation included six dioceses in the state – Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton. Below are the names listed in the grand jury report, along with where clergy members served and details of allegations …” By Anthony J. Machcinski, Sam Ruland, Rick Lee and Matt Allibone, York Daily Record

‘It’s really hard to be a Catholic’: the pain of reading the sex abuse report
“John Cabon stood quietly and crossed himself before a statue of the Virgin Mary outside St. Paul’s, the mother church of the Pittsburgh Diocese. ‘I keep the faith,’ said Mr. Cabon, 64, on the way to noon Mass. His sister, he said, had left the faith when explosive revelations of sexual abuse rocked the Roman Catholic Church in 2002. He had refused. ‘You don’t really believe everything, you know.’ But inside the church, there was no escaping the abuse scandal(link is external), which has entered a new chapter after monstrous revelations were released in a grand jury report on Tuesday (Aug. 14), describing the abuse of more than 1,000 young people at the hands of hundreds of priests in Pennsylvania.” By Campbell Robertson and Sharon Otterman, The New York Times

More than 300 accused priests listed in Pennsylvania report on Catholic Church sex abuse
“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday (Aug. 14) released a sweeping grand jury report on sex abuse in the Catholic Church(link is external), listing more than 300 accused clergy and detailing a “systematic” coverup effort by church leaders over 70 years. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday that more than 1,000 child victims were identified in the report, but the grand jury believes there are more.” By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post

Pennsylvania grand jury accuses over 300 priests of abuse, bishops of cover-up
“More than 300 Pennsylvania priests were accused of committing sexual assault and their bishops covering up(link is external) for them in a wide-ranging grand jury report that detailed some of the most damning accusations brought against the Catholic Church. ‘There have been other reports about child sex abuse within the Catholic Church; the grand jury wrote in a report released today. ‘But never on this scale. For many of us, those earlier stories happened someplace else, someplace away. Now we know the truth: It happened everywhere.’” By Mark Dent, National Catholic Reporter

Pennsylvania report documents over 1,000 victims of priest abuse
“In an emotional press conference on Tuesday (Aug. 14), Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro unveiled a more than 800-page grand jury report that chronicles seven decades of sexual abuse of children(link is external) by priests in six Catholic dioceses and the ‘systematic cover up by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican.’ Mr. Shapiro said that his office’s two-year investigation identified 301 priests who abused children and more than 1,000 victims. He said members of the grand jury told him they believe the number of victims is much larger.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

Some coverage leading up to Aug. 14 release of Pennsylania’s grand jury report

Change the clerical culture: why is predatory behavior by priests permitted?
“Emerging details about the scope and duration of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexually abusive behavior once more underscore the fact that an institutional sickness afflicts the Catholic Church(link is external). A predator priest can ascend to princely rank only if the clerical culture around him enables those who are complicit by their silence and failure to act. The behavior of ‘Uncle Ted,’ as the cardinal insisted he be called by his preferred victims, was something of an open secret at elite levels of the church.” By John Gehring, Commonweal

How to respond to the McCarrick scandal
“In the weeks since reports of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual abuse of seminarians and minors began to appear, there has been a chorus of cries for an investigation—not just into how the incidents of abuse took place, but also into how McCarrick advanced in the hierarchy despite them. The investigation must find the culprits who, knowing McCarrick’s misdeeds, were responsible for his ecclesiastical advancement … The good news is that there is an alternative to a convict-and-punish response(link is external) to the scandal. Rather than embarking on a lengthy, frustrating, and probably fruitless search for justice through identifying culprits in the McCarrick case, the American bishops can immediately begin to address the systemic issues embodied in that scandal.” By Rita Ferrone, Commonweal

McCarrick renounces place in College of Cardinal after revelations of abuse
“Retired Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick has renounced his position in the College of Cardinals(link is external), leaving the global Catholic Church’s most symbolic and powerful group in the wake of revelations that he sexually harassed or abused several young men during his meteoric rise to become one of the U.S. church’s most senior prelates. The move, announced in a press release from the U.S. bishops July 28, is without precedence since the founding of the American church with the creation of the diocese of Baltimore in 1789. While several U.S. cardinals have come under scrutiny in recent decades for their handling of abuse cases, none prior had set aside their red cardinalatial robes.” By Joshua J. McElwee and Heidi Schlumpf

Pennsylvania sexual abuse report is another setback for Pope Francis
“The damning report on the sexual abuse of potentially thousands of children by priests in Pennsylvania, and the subsequent cover-up by a Catholic church primarily interested in self-protection, is another blow for Pope Francis(link is external), who is already reeling after a series of damaging scandals over recent months.” By Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian

Chilean bishops’ efforts to prevent sex abuse affirmed by Pope Francis
“Pope Francis on Friday (Aug. 3) wrote to the Chilean bishops’ conference(link is external) to express his approval of their newly-adopted plan to prevent future instances of sex abuse within the Church. ‘I was impressed by the work of reflection, discernment, and decisions that you have made,’ the Pope wrote in his Aug. 5 letter to Bishop Santiago Jaime Silva Retamales of Chile’s military diocese, who is president of the Chilean bishops’ conference.” By Catholic News Service

Will Pope Francis solve the abuse crisis
“Since taking office five years ago, Pope Francis has carried the torch for progressive Catholic reform. His modest lifestyle and commitment to ‘a poor Church for the poor,’ his emphasis on mercy, and his attacks on clericalism, have set him at odds with the doctrinaire and the traditionalist … But in confronting the biggest challenge to the Church’s credibility since the Reformation(link is external), the sexual abuse crisis, Francis stumbled badly. Indeed, he seemed for a while to be retreating from the relatively tough approach of his immediate predecessor, Benedict XVI.” By Mark Silk, Religion News Service

No question, Pope Francis made history Saturday on McCarrik
“It’s really not that often one can say with certainty that we witnessed history being made at a specific moment, but Saturday (Jul. 28) brought such an occasion with a Vatican announcement that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick(link is external) from the College of Cardinals. It’s an unprecedented move in the United States, the first time an American cardinal has ever renounced his red hat, and it’s the first time anywhere in the world has exited the college altogether facing accusations of sexual abuse. It is, therefore, the most tangible confirmation to date from Francis that when he says ‘zero tolerance,’ he means everybody.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Pope Francis has utterly failed to tackle the church’s abuse scandal
“ … But the church is now reaping what it sowed(link is external): like long-festering sores, the suppressed scandals are erupting everywhere. The greatest of those involve accusations about members of the hierarchy themselves as abusers. Some remained hidden until now because pliant priests have been reluctant to ‘shop’ their bishops, even when they themselves have been abused as young altar boys and seminarians.” By Catherine Pepinster, The Guardian

Chilean cardinal may be next test for Pope on sex abuse reform
“Having accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis seems to have passed one important test(link is external) in terms of his willingness to impose accountability for clerical sexual abuse even on the highest-ranking clerics in the Catholic system. If Francis is looking around for an opportunity to scale that second mountain in his reform campaign, there’s an increasingly strong case to be made that retired Cardinal Francisco Errázuriz may just be his man.” By Elise Harris, Cruxnow.com

U.S. bishops call for apostolic visitation into McCarrick abuse case
“The head of the U.S. bishops said they will invite the Vatican to conduct an apostolic visitation to the country(link is external) to lead a ‘full investigation” into questions still surrounding revelations of sexual abuse by former cardinal Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. In addition, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said the bishops will take steps to create channels for easier reporting of abuse and misconduct by bishops, and will push for better procedures under canon law to resolve complaints made against bishops.” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter

Pennsylvania grand jury report: details of how Harisburg bishops ‘enabled the offenders’
“On Aug. 1, the Diocese of Harrisburg said that the name of every one of its bishops since 1947 would be removed from any building(link is external), facility or room in the diocese. The diocese made that announcement as it released the names of more than 70 clergy members accused of sexual abuse or inappropriate conduct with children, and as Bishop Ronald W. Gainer apologized for the abuse and the leaders who failed to respond appropriately.” By Ed Mahon, York Daily Record

U.S Bishops’ Conference: ‘We are shamed by and sorry for the sins and omission’ by clergy
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement on behalf of Conference President Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galviston-Huston and Chairman for the USCCB’s Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, Timothy L. Doherty of Lafayette in Indiana, following the release of the grand jury report(link is external) …” By Becky Metrick, PennLive.com

Pennsylvania lawmaker criticizes Catholic bishops for putting church’s reputation ahead of child protection
“Learning that a statewide grand jury looking into clergy sex abuse(link is external) suggests their child victims likely numbered in the thousands, a state lawmaker said that alone should be enough to prompt state lawmakers to change the law to tip the scales of justice in abuse victims’ favor.” By Jan Murphy, PennLive.com

U.S. Catholic bishops could be forced out of office by a horrific dossier on sex abuse
“A Pennsylvania grand jury report released last night (Aug. 14) has revealed that the Catholic Church in six dioceses systematically and sneakily covered up sexual abuse(link is external) by priests on a horrifying scale. The American Church has now been plunged into the worst crisis in its history.” By Damian Thompson, The Spectator

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory’s statement in response to the resignation of Theodore McCarrick
“As shepherd of the Catholic Church in Atlanta and united with my brother bishops under Pope Francis in service to Jesus Christ and His Church, I express my profound anger, sadness, and distress concerning sexual abuse by Church leaders(link is external) of children, young people and those over whom they exercised authority … While the current leadership of the USCCB considers next steps, I strongly encourage that they engage the laity in reviewing and recommending courses of action that will assure the faithful that we are serious in curing this blight from our Church and from episcopal governance once and for all.” By Atlanta Archbishop Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, in The Georgia Bulletin

Amid McCarrick revelations, Anchorage archbishop outlines an action plan
“As a number of bishops float ideas for how the U.S. church should respond in the wake of allegations of sexual abuse by one of its highest prelates, at least one bishop’s proposal stands out for its specificity(link is external). Archbishop Paul Etienne of Anchorage, in an Aug. 1 blog post titled ‘The Body of Christ is Hurting,’ has put forth a seven-point plan ‘for further study and review,’ which suggests the immediate formation of an ad hoc committee of bishops, the creation of a National Review Board of bishops and lay people that reports directly to the Vatican and a timeline of 60 days for transparency to the wider church.” By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter

‘Dear Troubled Catholics’: Church needs spiritual renewal
“Since I have returned from Bolivia, I have become aware of the developments regarding now-Abp. Theodore McCarrick. I, along with all those who love the Church, am dismayed, disgusted, and numbed when I think of those who have been harmed by his behavior. While I would rather not address the situation publicly, to not address it is to stick my head in the sand. The following article, condensed from a longer article by Ralph Martin at Renewal Ministries, expresses my feelings and perhaps your feelings(link is external), too. It is entitled, ‘Dear Troubled Catholics’ (following is the full letter) …” Posted by Bishop Edward M. Rice, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau on diocesan website

President of U.S. Bishops Conference issues statement on course of action responding to moral failures on part of Church leaders
“Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement noting the steps the U.S. Bishops Conference will take(link is external) in addressing the failures of the Church in protecting the people of God.” By USCCB President Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo

The Catholic Church needs a way to deal with bad bishops
“As the sexual abuse scandal surrounding Cardinal Theodore McCarrick continued to spread in the past week, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, acknowledged on Monday (July 23) that ‘a major gap still exists in the church’s policies on sexual conduct and sexual abuse(link is external).’ O’Malley, who is also the archbishop of Boston, noted that while the church has a zero-tolerance policy for the sexual abuse of minors by priests, there is a need for clearer norms and procedures for investigating and judging bishops. But O’Malley’s statement raises further questions.” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service

SYNOD OF BISHOPS ON YOUTH

Bishop Barron calls for evangelization, apologetics in upcoming youth synod
“The upcoming synod on young people is an opportunity(link is external) for evangelization, especially to those who have left the Catholic Church or organized religion altogether, said one of the bishop delegates ratified by Pope Francis this week. “I don’t know any issue more pressing now in the life of the church than addressing the problem of the massive attrition of our own people, especially the young,” Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron told NCR in an email interview.” By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter

PRIESTS

Sex abuse expert: crisis is a call to a new vision of the priesthood
“A Jesuit priest who has been on the frontline of advocating for survivors of clerical sexual abuse and developing detailed programs to prevent abuse said the crisis unfolding, again, in the United States is a summons to a new way of envisioning the church and taking responsibility for it(link is external). ‘I am not surprised’ by the new reports of abuse, ‘I do not think it will stop soon and, at the same time, I think it is necessary and should be seen in the framework of evolving a more consistent practice of accountability,’ said Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a professor of psychology and president of the Center for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in America: The Jesuit Review

WOMEN RELIGIOUS

Upcoming LCWR assembly will continue the call to communion
“The 2018 assembly for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious is picking up exactly where last year’s meeting left off: with a call to communion inspired by 2017’s Outstanding Leadership Award recipient(link is external), Carmelite Sr. Constance Fitzgerald. Roughly 800 sisters in leadership in their respective communities will gather Aug. 7-10 in St. Louis to reflect on this year’s theme: ‘Being the Presence of Love: The Power of Communion.’ LCWR, which represents approximately 80 percent of about 48,500 women religious in the United States, sees ‘being the presence of love’ as one of the most important roles of women religious in this era, said Sr. Annmarie Sanders of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, LCWR’s associate director of communications.” By Soli Salgado, Global Sisters Report, National Catholic Reporter

VATICAN

Irish sex abuse survivors say Francis should admit to Vatican’s cover-up
“Several prominent Irish clergy sexual abuse survivors are calling on Pope Francis(link is external) to use his upcoming visit to their country at the end of August to admit to the Vatican’s role for decades in helping cover-up abuse cases on the island. Noting that the pontiff publicly decried a ‘culture of abuse and cover-up’ in the Chilean Catholic Church in a letter to the people of that country in May, the Irish survivors say they are owed a similar admission about how the church sought to silence them and fellow victims.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Study: Most U.S. superiors think women deacons ‘theoretically possible’
“A major new study has found that more than three-quarters of the leaders of religious orders of priests, brothers and sisters in the U.S. believe it is ‘theoretically possible’ to ordain women as deacons(link is external) in the Catholic Church. Nearly as many, according to the just-released report from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, believe the church ‘should authorize’ the ordination of women to the diaconate.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Parishes must adapt to become all they can be
“The declining numbers of clergy and of church-goers, and our new, multicultural society pose challenges to our Catholic-identity communities(link is external), says Fr. Éamonn Fitzgibbon. The notion of parish is deeply embedded in Irish culture. A parish gives us a sense of where we are from and where we belong. It is tied up with our sense of identity and place. Partly because of the GAA’s ‘parish rule’ and the proliferation of clubs throughout Ireland, and partly as a means of marking territory and setting boundaries, the Irish parish has always been about more than religion.” By Irish Examiner

VOICES

What can I say to my kids when they ask why we keep faith in this church?
“We make the effort, however imperfectly, because I want my son and daughter to know that our faith is important(link is external), because I want them to choose to live it themselves one day, because I believe it is good. And my belief in the good at the heart of our faith is why I have tried hard to contribute to the institution, too: to find community in our parish, to spend hours researching local Catholic schools, saving to pay for them, budgeting to make donations to the church, to Catholic charities. And then I came home from Mass, and while the kids napped beside me, I started reading the grand jury report of sexual abuse in several dioceses of Pennsylvania.” By Kerry Weber, America: The Jesuit Review

The virtues of Catholic anger
“Every American Catholic I know is angry — with good reason. The recent release of a grand jury investigation into 70 years of sexual abuse by priests in Pennsylvania is appalling in its breadth and detail … Catholic wrath burns hot(link is external). Chief among those enraged are victims and their families, several of whom I know, many whose lives have been destroyed by sexual violence. Catholics not directly affected by the abuse are furious at both abusive priests and the bishops who covered up their crimes, and many have had their faith in the church severely shaken. Many believed that after the sex abuse scandals of 2002, the church had “moved on” and so feel poleaxed by these new stories.” By James Martin, S.J., The New York Times

A priest responds to the Catholic Church’s ‘summer of shame’
“A few weeks before I was ordained a Catholic priest in the late autumn of 1994, my superior in the seminary told me that, in his opinion, it was probably the most difficult time in a century to become a priest(link is external). Yet, he went on, it was also the most exciting time. I really did not take much notice of what he said. In fact, in my overconfidence, I thought he was talking nonsense.” By Benedict Kiley, National Review

Money talks: should Catholics cease their stewardship in wake of latest scandal
“When Ralph Martin of Renewal Ministries wrote his ‘Letter to Troubled Catholics’ in response to the latest clergy sexual-abuse scandal, he quoted a Catholic who suggested sending Church leaders a message by withholding donations(link is external). Martin said the disaffected Catholic told him the only way things will change is if the faithful stop giving to the bishops’ national collections and to diocesan and parish collections — ‘unless they are led by bishops who are willing to call a spade a spade and govern accordingly.’” By Judy Roberts, National Catholic Register

On the immoral cover-up of abuse in Catholic Church
“In anticipation of findings, however redacted, of a statewide grand jury investigation into sex abuse in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses, I revisited a 2005 grand jury report on the same topic in Philadelphia(link is external). Thirteen years later, it’s as horrific as it was back then. Findings included ‘how dozens of priests (at least 63) sexually abused hundreds of children’ and ‘how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials — including Cardinal (Anthony) Bevilacqua and Cardinal (John) Krol — excused and enabled the abuse.’ Details were sickening.” By John Baer, Philadelphia Daily News

Is transparency a cure-all?
“The history of the church is a history of saints and sinners. Lately the sinful part is certainly more visible than the saintly. In the run-up to the great jubilee year 2000, John Paul II officially apologized for the church’s sins(link is external), and this seem to have had an impact on public opinion. But all that seems like a long time ago now … It is now clear to many that the scandal of clerical sexual abuse is the most serious crisis the church has faced since the Reformation.” By Massimo Faggioli, Commonweal

Reflections on the abuse saga: it’s not just about McCarrick
“In recent days, I’ve found myself diving deeply into the drama that the Catholic Church is living in Chile(link is external) amid one of the most colossal clerical sexual abuse crises ever to erupt. It’s disgusting. It’s criminal. It’s unforgivable. It has the capacity to undermine one’s faith. Yet time and time again, when I shared what I’ve written about it, including a 4,000-word report on a ring of homosexual predators that make the misdeeds of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick seem mild in comparison, I get messages on social media and in my email with Americans demanding I look into the fallen U.S. cardinal.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

McCarrick scandal illustrates the harm clericalism has done to the Church
“Twenty-five years ago, I published a book about clericalism in the Catholic Church(link is external)with the title ‘To Hunt, To Shoot, To Entertain’—a quotation from a 19th-century British monsignor capsulizing his view of what the laity are competent to do. The book was positively, though sparsely, reviewed and enjoyed modest sales. As far as I can tell, it accomplished little or nothing of a practical nature beyond earning me a reputation as a sorehead.” By Russell Shaw, AngelusNews.com

DiNardo should take real action for victims of pedophile priests
“It is too soon to know if a recent statement by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo signals a new — and more welcome — direction in the way the Catholic Church responds to accusations of sexual abuse by priests(link is external). Too soon to know if the words from DiNardo, head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Archbishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, will lead to substantive penalties against those who prey on children.” By Houston Chronicle Editorial Board

With McCarrick scandal, #MeToo arrives for the church
“On July 28, we woke up to front-page news about my former archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s resignation from the College of Cardinals. He is the first and only cardinal to resign from the college as a part of the worldwide sexual abuse scandal(link is external). While two of McCarrick’s victims were minors, it appears that most were adult males. Most often, they were seminarians and priests under his authority. In McCarrick, the child abuse scandal is joined to the #MeToo movement. By Fr. Peter Daly, National Catholic Reporter

Why would a priest or seminarian not report sexual harassment by a superior?
“Why would Catholic priests and seminarians be so reluctant to report allegations of sexual harassment or abuse from bishops(link is external), priests or religious superiors? This question has been raised repeatedly in the wake of the allegations against Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., who on Saturday resigned from the College of Cardinals. McCarrick is accused of abusing a minor as well as sexually harassing seminarians and young priests.” By James Martin, S.J., America: The Jesuit Review

‘There’s going to be a raid’: a Chilean prosecutor forces Catholic Church to give up secrets
“Two special envoys sent by Pope Francis to investigate a child sex abuse scandal in Chile were meeting priests and Church workers at a university in the Chilean capital last month when aides rushed into the room with an alarming development: police and prosecutors were about to start raiding Church offices(link is external). The envoys were 90 minutes into a seminar on how to investigate allegations of sex abuse committed by fellow clergy following revelations that hundreds of children might have been molested. For decades, the Roman Catholic Church in Chile quietly investigated such allegations without alerting police, but it now stands accused, even by Pope Francis himself, of a cover-up that allowed abusers to operate with impunity.” By Aislinn Laing and Cassandra Garrison, Reuters

Three things that should happen now that McCarrick is no longer a cardinal
“Now that Archbishop Theodore McCarrick has resigned his cardinalate, what happens next? The canonical case against him will continue(link is external), but what have we learned in the past couple of months? What remains to be done to combat this cancer that is killing the church, a cancer that metastasized beyond the abuse of children to the abuse of adults? There are three parts to the ecclesial conversion that the McCarrick scandal makes clear. First, we need institutional mechanisms and procedures to hold bishops accountable … [second] a further conversion of the clerical culture … the third and final conversion must be spiritual.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

COUNCIL OF CARDINALS

Can Pope Francis’ council of cardinals still deliver on reform?
“By most accounts, Pope Francis was elected with a mandate to reform the Roman Curia(link is external) — the complex network of dicasteries, commissions, and councils charged with the central administrative work of the Catholic Church- a network that, even to insiders and experts, more often resembles a rabbit warren than a well-defined system of governable offices with clear responsibilities.” By Ed Condon, Catholic News Agency

CHURCH FINANCES

Former Tulare Catholic priest won’t go to jail after embezzling $200K
“A former reverend at Tulare’s St. Rita’s Catholic Church was sentenced Wednesday (Aug. 8) to five years of probation(link is external), a recommendation from the county’s probation department and a request from the Fresno diocese. The sentencing was issued despite Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward asking for a stiffer penalty.” By Luis Hernandez, Visalia Times-Delta

‘Married’ Catholic bishop faces court case for embezzlement
“Catholics in a south Indian diocese want their bishop removed for allegedly misappropriating diocesan funds to lead a luxurious life with his wife and son. Bishop Prasad Gallela of Cuddapah, however, has denied the charges as baseless and aimed at tarnishing his image(link is external). Aggrieved Catholics filed a criminal complaint in a trial court in Andhra Pradesh state seeking action against the 56-year-old prelate after their efforts to get justice from the Vatican failed, Mesa Ravi Kumar, one of the two complaints in the case, told Matters India Aug. 3, a day after appearing before the court. He had filed the complaint in the court in June this year.” By Jose Kavi, National Catholic Reporter

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

Backing civil statute of limitations reform would be the best way bishops could help child sexual abuse victims
“If Bishop Gainer and his fellow Catholic bishops in Pennsylvania genuinely want to redress that harm, they should drop their opposition to reform of the commonwealth’s civil statute of limitations(link is external). A victim of child sexual abuse now has only until his or her 30th birthday to bring a civil suit in Pennsylvania (a criminal case must be brought before a victim’s 50th birthday).” By Lancaster Online Editorial Board

Catholic sexual abuse crisis deepens as authorities lag in response
“A two-year grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania resulted in what the state’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, called ‘the largest, most comprehensive report into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church ever produced in the United States(link is external).’ But the report, released Tuesday (Aug. 14), was not the first. In 2002, The Boston Globe revealed that Catholic authorities in the Boston Archdiocese had engaged in a massive cover-up of sex crimes committed by area priests, and investigations in other parts of the country have since uncovered similar patterns of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy. The ongoing scandals amount to a deepening church crisis.” By Tom Gjelten, National Public Radio, on WBUR-FM News

Richard Sipe helped uncover pattern of clergy sex abuse
“When the Globe Spotlight team began its investigation of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Richard Sipe was our guide(link is external), our teacher, our chief cheerleader. A gentle man with an easy laugh, he was also a former monk and priest, a psychotherapist, a scholar, and ideally suited to explain that the horrors we were discovering in Boston were not unusual — and quite probably part of a pattern throughout the church. Sipe, who was 85, died Wednesday in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego.” By Michael Rezendes, The Boston Globe

Lay woman’s saga illustrates clerical sexual abuse of adults
“Although most attention amid the clerical sexual abuse crisis has been on minors, recent cases of priests and bishops(link is external) who have taken advantage of vulnerable adults or those under their guidance also have come to light. One such case involves Theodore McCarrick, the 88-year-old retired Archbishop of Washington and Newark who resigned his post in the College of Cardinals following ‘credible and substantiated’ accusations of sexual abuse of minors and multiple accounts of sexual misconduct with seminarians.” By Elise Harris, Cruxnow.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Alleged misconduct at Brighton seminary prompts inquiry
“Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley said Friday (Aug. 10) that he was placing the rector of a Brighton seminary on leave while an outside legal consultant investigates allegations of unspecified misconduct(link is external) at the educational facility. In a statement, O’Malley did not provide details of the alleged wrongdoing at St. John’s Seminary but said the accusations came from two seminarians who were enrolled at the theological school, which trains priests for ordination.” By Travis Andersen and Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe

Diocese names two Duluth priests as ‘credibly accused’
“A Duluth priest suing a man who has accused him of sexual abuse(link is external) has been added to the Diocese of Duluth’s list of priests it has determined to be ‘credibly accused.’ The Diocese announced on Sunday (Aug. 5) that the Rev. William C. Graham, who is arguing in his lawsuit that he has been falsely accused, and the Rev. Roland Antus were found to be credibly accused of sexual abuse following the Diocese’s investigation into the allegations.” By Lisa Kaczke, Duluth News Tribune

MONTANA

Judge approves $20 million settlement between diocese and sexual abuse victims
“The settlement ended a seven-year lawsuit involving 86 plaintiffs who had they had been sexually abused by Catholic nuns and priests(link is external) from the 1950s through the 1990s, according to a news release from Tamaki Law Offices, which represents 38 of the victims. The diocese’s insurer, Catholic Mutual, will pay $8 million of the settlement. The remaining $12 million will be divided as follows: $5 million from the Diocese, $4 million from individual parishes, $2 million from the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana and $1 million from St. Labre Indian School.” By KPAX-TV News

Montana Catholic diocese must identify 27 former clergy as abusers, settlement says
“The Great Falls-Billings Diocese will soon post online the names of 27 former clergy whose 50 years of sexual abuse in Eastern Montana(link is external) prompted two lawsuits and led the diocese to declare bankruptcy in 2017. The 86 individuals who were abused between 1943 and 1993 are now voting on the proposed $20 million settlement, announced in April.” By Phoebe Tollefson, Billings Gazette

NEBRASKA

‘We can’t sit back anymore’ – Lincoln diocese named in allegations
“It’s been a turbulent month so far for Lincoln’s Catholic leaders, who are facing fire for their mishandling of three priests accused of sexual assault(link is external), moral misconduct and an inappropriate relationship with an altar server. The allegations span two decades, but they only recently surfaced broadly and publicly in a wave of online articles and Facebook posts.” By Peter Salter, Lincoln Journal Star

Bishop says no cover-up in priest’s case but admits lack of transparency
“Lincoln Bishop James D. Conley apologized Aug. 4 for failing to be more transparent about a pastor removed from ministry and sent to treatment last year because the priest had developed ‘an emotionally inappropriate, non-sexual relationship with a 19-year-old(link is external) male which involved alcohol.’ He sent Father Charles Townsend, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln, to the Shalom Center in Houston for treatment.” By Catholic News Service on CatholicPhilly.com

NEW JERSEY

Newark archdiocese to audit files in alleged abuse cases in wake of McCarrick scandal
“The head of New Jersey’s largest Catholic diocese has ordered a re-examination of sexual abuse cases involving clergy(link is external), officials said Friday (Aug. 10). With recent disclosures of secret settlements going back decades, and ongoing revelations by former seminarians and others about abuse allegedly suffered at the hands of priests, Cardinal Joseph Tobin has ‘arranged for an external firm to audit all the personal files’ of the Newark Archdiocese, according to a spokesman for the archdiocese.” By Ted Sherman, New Jersey Real Time News

How should priests report sex abuse by priests? N.J. diocese asks after McCarrick scandal
“One of New Jersey’s Catholic dioceses is bringing together a group of senior advisers to consider changing how priests can report sexual misconduct by fellow priests(link is external), church officials said Tuesday (Aug. 7). Bishop James Checchio, head of the Diocese of Metuchen, said the recent resignation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has raised questions about whether his diocese needs to make big changes.” By Kelly Heyboer, NJAdvanceMedia

New Jersey native priest says he was sexually assaulted by two clergymen in Newark
“A priest who grew up in New Jersey is alleging that he was sexually assaulted decades ago by two clergymen(link is external) who continued working in the Newark Archdiocese after church officials determined his accusations to be believable but unproven.” By Abbott Koloff, NorthJersey.com

Complaints of Buffalo Diocese investigations reach the Vatican
“Complaints about how the Diocese of Buffalo investigates allegations of sexual abuse have reached the Vatican(link is external) and one of the pope’s chief confidants. Michael Taheri, the attorney for The Reverend Samuel Venne, says the preliminary investigations process run by the diocese is flawed. His complaints include how the Diocese of Buffalo does not always provide priests with copies of the accusation or allow the accused to meet with the Review Board that makes recommendations to the bishop on the merit of sexual abuse allegations.” By Daniel Telvock, WIVB-TV

Priest abused him as boy, man says
“Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary of Lochland Road was a place where young men considered life as a Capuchin friar. But for Peter Saracino, it was a place where he said he lost his soul. Saracino, a retired Marcus Whitman teacher who grew up in Seneca Falls and now lives in Phelps, claims a Capuchin priest abused him when he was 8 or 9(link is external) at the former Catholic seminary, which is now the upscale resort Geneva On the Lake.” By Steve Buchiere, Finger Lakes Times

Critic of clergy abuse compensation program: ‘it’s a virtual black hole’
“Administrators of a Diocese of Buffalo program to compensate childhood victims of clergy sex abuse(link is external) will consider whether the diocese had ‘prior notice’ of an alleged abuser’s conduct as they determine how much money the victims should get. But it’s unclear if diocesan officials are under any obligation to hand over personnel files that show whether the diocese knew a priest was prone to abuse. That’s one of the compensation program’s major shortcomings, according to lawyers for some of the victims. People who make claims of abuse with the diocese aren’t told what information, if any, the diocese provides to program administrators.” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

Alleged victim interviewed by diocese a month after priest returns to service
“A priest cleared after accusations of abuse is under investigation(link is external) a second time a month after returning to service. A victim was interviewed by diocesan officials Monday (Jul. 30), claiming Father Dennis Riter of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Dunkirk abused him years ago.” By Katie Gibas, Spectrum Local News

Our Mother of Consolation priest on leave after allegation of sexual abuse
“Rev. Mark Plaushin, a priest at Our Mother of Consolation, was placed on administrative leave on July 16, following an allegation of sexual abuse(link is external) … According to the statement from the archdiocese, church officials moved to remove Plaushin from active service as soon as they learned of the allegation.” By Sue Ann Rybak, Chestnut Hill Local

Bishop Zubik Pittsburgh Diocese will name clergy accused of sex abuse
“The Diocese of Pittsburgh plans to follow other dioceses across the state and reveal the names of clergy members who have been accused of sexual abuse of a minor(link is external). In a letter read during Roman Catholic Masses across the six-county diocese this weekend (Aug. 5), Bishop David Zubik said he will release the names once a grand jury report investigating sex abuse is released.” By Daveen Rae Kurutz, The Pittsburgh Times

Priest who served 30-plus years in one church added to list of clergy accused of child sex crimes in Harrisburg Diocese
“The name of a prelate who was in ministry for more than 30 years at a church has been added to the list of individuals accused of child sex crimes(link is external) in the Diocese of Harrisburg. The diocese on Monday (Aug. 6) added Monsignor Joseph Bradley, who served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel between 1963 and 1996, to a list of clergy and seminarians who over the years have been accused of child sex crimes. Bradley’s name brings the list to 72.” By Ivey DeJesus, PennLive.com

Woman says she was sexually abused by Catholic school teacher in 1970s
“A woman who says she was sexually abused in the 1970’s by a teacher(link is external) in the Erie Catholic Diocese is speaking out for the first time. The teacher died several years ago. Fifty-five year old Leila Said Gutowski said she was abused when she was 12-13 year old, a student at Immaculate Conception School in Clarion.” By Erie News Now

Pennsylvania priest pleads guilty to sexually molesting fourth-grade boy
(Jul. 31, 2018) “As Catholic officials across Pennsylvania brace for what has been described as a graphic and blistering investigation report into clergy sex abuse, a Greensburg Diocese priest charged with child sex crimes(link is external) on Tuesday (Jul. 31) pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a boy.” By Ivey DeJesus, PennLive.com

TEXAS

Catholic priest forced to resign after writing sex-fueled letter to another priest, bishop says
“A priest in the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese has resigned after a letter he wrote to another priest in Dallas was deemed intimidating, manipulative and inappropriate(link is external) by Bishop Michael Olson. The Rev. Richard Kirkham, former pastor of St. Martin de Porres in Prosper, is also accused of failing to report knowledge he had of alleged sexual misconduct and predatory sexual harassment in the workplace regarding the Dallas-area priest.” By Nichole Manna, The Olympian

AUSTRALIA

Bishops to release formal Royal Commission response
“The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will release its formal response(link is external) to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse by the end of the month. It will also release the four volumes of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council’s final report. The bishops met in Melbourne last week to consider the Church’s formal response to the royal commission.” By CathNews.com

Vatican requires bishops ‘to cover up child sex abuse’ in absence of reporting laws, expert says
“A confidential instruction from the pope in 1922 directed bishops to treat canonical crimes such as ‘obscene acts with animals,’ ‘Solicitation of sex during confession,’ and ‘gravely sinful offences perpetrated against children’ with the utmost secrecy(link is external). ‘And that secrecy has been confirmed, continued by every pope since, including the current one, Pope Francis,’ said Kieran Tapsell, an expert witness on a 2017 royal commission panel on canon law.” By Charlotte King, Australia Broadcasting Corporation

CHILE

Catholic Church faces reckoning in Chile as sex abuse scandal widens
“The 20 men and women rose quietly from their pews during Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago one day last week, unfurled a banner and held up signs. ‘All Bishops Resign(link is external),’ one read. Looking back from the altar was Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, the archbishop of Santiago and a focal point in a growing reckoning over allegations that leaders of the Catholic Church in Chile repeatedly covered up the sexual abuse of minors by priests.” By Pascale Bonnefoy, The New York Times

Chilean officials raid bishops’ conference amid abuse investigation
“Officials of the Investigative Police of Chile (PDI) raided Tuesday (Aug. 14) the offices of the Chilean bishop’s conference to seize information and statements from alleged victims of abuse(link is external) perpetrated by the Congregation of the Marist Brothers. According to Chilean officials, police are investigating 38 claims of sexual abuse related to the Marist congregation.” By Catholic News Agency

Chilean prosecutor raids office of the military’s Catholic bishop
“A Chilean prosecutor said on Thursday (Aug. 8) that the office of the bishop to the armed services had been raided as part of investigations into accusations that senior Roman Catholic Church officials covered up claims of sexual abuse by clergymen in Chile(link is external). Emiliano Arias, a provincial prosecutor leading the investigations, told Reuters that the raid on the office of Santiago Silva had been conducted by court order and authorized by the defense minister and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Silva is also president of the Chilean bishops’ conference.” By Aislinn Laing, Reuters

Pope thanks Chilean bishops for ‘decisive’ efforts against abuse
“Pope Francis has praised the bishops of Chile for their ‘decisive’ efforts against clerical sex abuse(link is external) following a recent meeting. In a handwritten letter sent on Sunday (Aug. 5), the Pope says Chile’s bishops have come up with ‘realistic and concrete’ measures against the abuse crisis gripping the Catholic Church in the country.” By Devin Watkins, Vatican News

Victims recount sexual abuse horrors in Chilean seminary
“‘We need for the Church to understand that those of us who come forth are not the enemy(link is external). We want to help the Church clean itself, so there are no other Mauricios drugged and raped in the seminary, so there are no other Sebastians forced to massage a bishop so he feels pleasure, so there’re no other Marcelos forced to receive oral sex, and so there’re no other Johns raped by their spiritual directors.’ The stories are real. They belong to Mauricio Pulgar, Marcelo Soto, Sebastian del Rio and a fourth person, who will be described as ‘John Doe.’” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Two Chilean priests present their resignation amid sex ring allegations
“Two priests from a troubled Chilean diocese, part of the 14 local priests suspended after they were accused of being part of a ring of sexual misconduct(link is external) that included gay prostitution and sexting with minors, have requested to be removed from the priesthood. Fathers Hector Fuentes and Freddy Gorigoitia are currently suspended from ministry because of the ongoing investigation against them and other priests who were part of the group calling itself ‘The Family.’ The two requested to be laicized on July 28.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Chile’s national prosecutor requesting Vatican sex abuse files
“Chile’s national prosecuting authority said on Wednesday (Aug. 1) that it had asked the government to submit a formal request to the Vatican for information about nine clergymen and lay workers who have been accused of sexual abuse of children(link is external).” By Aislinn Laing, Reuters

Chilean prosecutor vows ‘historic trial’ on clerical sexual abuse
“A Chilean prosecutor this weekend (Jul. 28) announced plans to bring an ‘historical trial’ against the Catholic Church for attempting to hide or eliminate evidence related to clerical sexual abuse(link is external), confirming what Pope Francis said in May in a letter to the country’s bishops’ conference: ‘We know that there were religious who destroyed evidence.’ In an interview with a Spanish newspaper, prosecutor Emiliano Arias compared the decision of the Chilean Church not to cooperate with civilian authorities to having unreported ‘dead bodies’ under a chapel.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Chilean archbishop questioned on cover-up of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy
“A sex abuse probe involving the Roman Catholic church(link is external) in Chile is widening. The leader of Chile’s church has been summoned by prosecutors to answer questions about an alleged cover-up of sex abuse of children by the clergy. This comes after prosecutors this week published a report about the scope of abuse by members of the church.” By Joel Richards, America.cgtn.com

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

New reports of sexual abuse rock Benedictine abbey schools in England
“Since 2014, when it was set up by the then-interior minister Theresa May, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse(link is external) has investigated 13 discrete areas of public life in England and Wales, secular and religious, where there were grounds to suspect that child protection rules were inadequately observed. Among the investigated institutions were two Benedictine abbey schools, Ampleforth and Downside, situated at opposite ends of England. The Inquiry’s findings, just published, have rocked the Order of St. Benedict and the Catholic Church here.” By David Stewart, America: The Jesuit Review

Former Catholic priest groomed teenage girl before subjecting her to campaign of indecent assault
“A former Catholic priest in Wythenshawe has been jailed for grooming a teenage girl before subjecting her to a campaign of indecent assault(link is external). Vincent Whelan, 71, used his position at St Peter’s Catholic Church to sexually exploit the girl, who was under 16, in the 1980s. The parish priest, who now lives in Wirral, Merseyside, was aged 41 when he began grooming the ‘vulnerable’ teenager after befriending her family.” By Sophie Halle-Richards, Manchester Evening News

GUAM

Guam archdiocese guts a former seminary to raise money for clergy sex abuse settlements
“A former seminary building was packed with hundreds of shoppers Saturday (Jul. 28) after the Archdiocese of Agana, which owns the property, announced they were selling everything inside and using part of the proceeds to fund potential settlements for Guam clergy sex abuse victims(link is external). Approximately 350 people were camped outside the former Accion Hotel at 5 a.m. Saturday. That was three hours before the sale even began, Leonard Stohr, deacon for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Yigo, told the Pacific Daily News.” By Kevin Tano, Pacific Daily News

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Vatican ‘sought deal’ with Irish state to bury church documents
(Aug. 7, 2018) “Former president Mary McAleese says she refused to discuss an attempt by the Vatican in 2003 to secure an agreement with Ireland that it would not access church documents. Speaking to The Irish Times, Ms McAleese has revealed what she described as ‘one of the most devastating moments in my presidency(link is external).’” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

Clerical abuse scandals entering disturbing phase, says McAleese
“The abuse scandals in the Catholic Church were now entering ‘an even more disrupting chapter(link is external),’ former president Mary McAleese has said. She quoted veteran Vatican correspondent Robert Mickens as saying that, in order to solve the underlying problem, Pope Francis will ‘have to devote the rest of his pontificate almost exclusively to this gargantuan endeavor.’” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

Pope will meet abuse survivors as part of his visit to Ireland
“The Pope will meet abuse survivors(link is external) as part of his visit to Ireland later this month (August), it is understood, though details of when and whom he will meet will not be released in advance to protect the anonymity of survivors. Sources indicated the meeting would take place a day after the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin said ‘time is very tight’ for Pope Francis to meet survivors of church abuse during his visit.” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

Editorial: Retain abuse survivors or risk irrelevancy
“It is distressing to learn that the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors may be restructured so that survivors of sexual abuse by clergy may have no direct voice in that body(link is external). The commission has helped the church make great strides in addressing this global issue, but it is in danger of becoming irrelevant. Signs of trouble with the commission began to surface in 2016, a year after its inception, when one of two abuse survivors on the commission, Peter Saunders, was suspended. The trouble became acute when the sole remaining survivor on the commission, Marie Collins, resigned earlier this year.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff

Francis decentralizes most authority for liturgical translations to local bishops
“Pope Francis has decentralized authority over how the texts used in the Catholic Church’s liturgies are translated(link is external) from Latin into local languages, moving most responsibility for the matter from the Vatican to national bishops’ conferences. In a motu proprio issued Sept. 9, the pontiff says he is making a change to the church’s Code of Canon Law so that the Second Vatican Council’s call to make the liturgy more understandable to people is ‘more clearly reaffirmed and put into practice.’ The motu proprio, given the title Magnum Principium, modifies two clauses of Canon 838. The rewritten clauses say simply that the Vatican is to ‘recognize’ adaptations of Latin liturgical texts approved by national bishops’ conferences.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Australian Catholic Church falls short on safeguards for children, study finds
“A study that examines child sexual abuse worldwide in the Roman Catholic Church has found that the Australian church has done less to safeguard children in its care than its counterparts(link is external) in similar countries have. The report, released on Wednesday by the Center for Global Research at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, also found that the church’s requirement that priests be celibate was a major risk factor for abuse. And it said that the possibility of abuse in Catholic residential institutions, like orphanages, should be getting more attention, especially in developing countries.” By Jacqueline Williams, The New York Times

Living with echo of clergy abuse (Part 1 of 3)
“For a more than a decade, Catholic priest Donald Grecco sexually abused children in Niagara(link is external). On Thursday (Sept. 7), he will be sentenced for the abuse of three boys in the 1970s and 80s. This three part series is the story of one of his victims.” By Grant LaFleche, The St. Catherine’s Standard

‘Müller sacked for publicly opposing pope, especially on women deacons’
(Sept. 6, 2017) “A noted German Protestant theologian who attended the Catholic Church’s 2015 Synod on the Family has claimed that Cardinal Gerhard Müller was dismissed as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) because of his public criticism of Pope Francis(link is external), especially on the issue of women deacons.” By Christa Pongratz-Lippitt, International La Croix

As Vatican trial waits to resume, who’s actually got the most to lose
“With a Vatican trial focusing on charges of misappropriation of funds(link is external) from a papally-sponsored children’s hospital now on hold until Sept. 19, the question arises of who has the most to lose from its outcome: The two lay defendants themselves, or the cardinal whose reputation appears to be on the line and the fate of the financial reform launched by Pope Francis?” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxow.com

POPE FRANCIS

Why world meeting of families is more than potential papal visit
“From August 21st-26th, 2018, families from across the world will gather in Ireland for the ninth world meeting of families. Much of the local commentary has focused on whether Pope Francis will attend(link is external) and what this might mean for the future of church and society in Ireland. Those of us involved in organizing the event are careful not to talk about a papal visit. Not because we aren’t delighted at the prospect of the pope coming but because, if he comes, it is clear he will come first and foremost for the world meeting of families itself.” By Fr. Tim Bartlett, The Irish Times

CARDINALS

Vatican reform process ‘nearly complete,’ C9 member says
“Bishop Marcello Semeraro said the Council of Cardinal’s work in advising Pope Francis on the reform(link is external) of the Vatican’s organization and church governance – describing it as a three-step process of ‘listening’ to the contributions from the bishops, the Roman Curia and ‘many people who have written,’ reflecting on those proposals and checking them over – is almost done.” By Junno Arocho Esteves, Cruxnow.com

Vatican investigator wraps up cash, mistress probe
“A Vatican-appointed investigator has completed a probe into allegations leveled against an Indonesian bishop by rebel priests(link is external) within his own diocese. Holy Cross Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin of Bandung was appointed by the Vatican as its apostolic visitator last month to look into allegations that Bishop Hubertus Leteng of Ruteng misappropriated church funds and kept a mistress. Bishop Bunjamin told ucanews.com on Aug. 24 that he had collected enough evidence during an Aug.-15-18 visit to Flores Island, during which he interviewed about 30 priests and laypeople, and would be sending a detailed report to the Vatican.” By Ryan Dagur, UCANews.com

PRIESTS

For historic Philadelphia seminary, enrollment hits a new peak
“The number of seminarians(link is external) at Philadelphia’s St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is on the rise, and rector Bishop Timothy Senior says Pope Francis’ visit has been a positive influence on the seminarians. ‘With 167 seminarians, we’re very excited and not only just the numbers but just extraordinary young men, candidates that really reflect the rich diversity of our region,’ Bishop Senior told CBS Philly.” By Catholic News Agency in Angelus News

WOMEN DEACONS

Irish priests call for diaconate pause
“The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland has called on the Irish bishops to halt the introduction of permanent deacons(link is external) in their dioceses until the Vatican’s commission on women deacons has concluded its report and Pope Francis has made a decision based on its findings. In their statement, association leaders said they believed that proceeding with the introduction of male deacons at this time would add ‘another male clerical layer to ministry’ which was ‘insensitive, disrespectful of women and counter-productive at this present critical time.’” By Sarah Mac Donald, National Catholic Reporter

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

The U.S. Catholic experience is increasingly Hispanic and Southwestern
“A new survey of the religious composition of the United States shows that white Christians are increasingly less dominant in American society(link is external), with fewer than half of U.S. states having white Christian majorities, down from 39 states in 2007. For the Catholic Church here, that means a shift from a predominantly white church clustered in the Northeast and Midwest to a church influenced by Latin American immigration and located in the South and West. About 18 percent of all Americans identify as Catholic, the report found.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

Seeking a path form Pell to a Plenary Council
“Arriving in Sydney, Australia, this summer for a round of conferences sponsored by the Broken Bay Institute of the Australian Institute of Theological Education, I found a church confronting events likely to have a profound impact on its future(link is external): the Royal Commission’s completion of its work on an ‘institutional response to child sexual abuse’; the return of Cardinal George Pell from Rome to face charges on sexual abuse cases alleged to have taken place decades ago in the diocese of Ballarat; and the announcement of a Plenary Council for Australia set for 2020—the first since 1937.” By Massimo Faggioli, Commonweal

Numbers of Catholics stable as more than half of British public now have ‘no religion’
“More than half of the British public now describe themselves as having no religion(link is external), a new survey has found. The decline in religious affiliation has hit the Church of England particularly hard with the number of Anglicans falling by 50 per cent in under two decades, the British Social Attitudes survey, released on 4 September, revealed. By contrast the number of Catholics — at around 10 per cent — has remained relatively stable over the same time period. The number of people saying they have no religion (53 per cent) is at its highest ever level, up from 48 per cent in 2015, the National Centre for Social Research found in their social attitudes survey of 2,942 people.” By Rose Gamble, The Tablet

VATICAN

Vatican fails to submit report to U.N.
“As sexual assault cases against the Archdiocese of Agana continue to increase, it appears that the Vatican has found itself in trouble with the United Nations(link is external). Three years ago, the Vatican was called to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which begged the Vatican to take concrete steps to remedy decades of institutional complicity and cover-up of widespread sexual violence. September 1, 2017, marked the deadline for the Vatican to submit a comprehensive report on their progress, but the Vatican did not submit the report.” By Jolene Toves, Pacific News First

MARRIED PRIESTS

Petitioners to Rockville Centre bishop: Ordain married men
“Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese wrote in March that Pope Francis was ready to reconsider obligatory priestly celibacy(link is external). Reese wrote the pope was only waiting to be asked by bishops. ‘If the people of God want married priests, they need to let their bishops know. The pope is waiting for the bishops to ask,’ wrote Reese. NCR reader James Stubenrauch took up Reese’s challenge. And he brought along 52 other friends who reside with him at Dominican Village, a retirement community on the grounds of the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse here on Long Island.” By Peter Feuerherd, National Catholic Reporter

VOICES

Editorial: Fling open door for women
“Though the church exhibits ‘a keen awareness of the extent to which women have been victims of injustice, violence and oppression,’ she (Tina Beattie, British theologian) said, the Vatican has increasingly found itself in opposition(link is external) to international and local movements calling for greater rights for women and children. The reason for this, of course, is the official church’s inability to move away from the traditional teaching on the distinctions between male and female that has formed Catholic theology over centuries.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff

CHURCH FINANCES

Catholic church in Gardner under investigation for alleged financial wrongdoing
“The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is investigating alleged financial improprieties at a parish in the Johnson County(link is external) town of Gardner, officials announced Sunday (Sept. 10). A statement was read during Masses this weekend at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Gardner, where the alleged incident occurred, said Anita McSorley, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese.” By Phil Anderson, Topeka Capital-Journal

If trial’s a test of accountability, what grade will the Vatican get?
“As the latest Vatican criminal trial, in this case for financial misappropriation(link is external), opens on Thursday (Sept. 7), many observers are still wondering how two laymen can be charged with illicitly spending roughly $500,000 from a pediatric hospital’s funds to remodel a cardinal’s Vatican apartment, but that cardinal isn’t facing any charges at all. If this is a test of accountability, in other words, what grade will the Vatican get?” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Retired Canton priest accused of stealing church wine, money from collection plate
“The Rev. Eugene Katcher, former pastor of Resurrection Parish in Canton, has been charged with three counts of larceny(link is external) after authorities say he stole money from the collection plate and from the donations parishioners gave to light votive prayer candles. He is also accused of stealing property, including church wine.” By Ann Zaniewski, Detroit Free Press

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church
“What Australian researchers say about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church(link is external) worldwide: it has always been an issue; can be traced back to New Testament times in the first century; is a global phenomenon within the Catholic Church; To attribute it solely to a series of personal failings of individual priests and religious insinuating they were just a few ‘rotten apples’ is simply not credible; young and vulnerable Catholic children, especially boys, were in danger and at risk in the presence of psychosexually immature, psychosexually maldeveloped and sexually deprived and deeply frustrated male priests and male religious, particularly those who had not satisfactorily resolved their own sexual identity.” By Australian Associated Press on 9news.com.au

Government cuts redress payout proposals in half
“The child abuse redress scheme proposed by the Turnbull government will provide a minimum compensation payment half the size recommended by the royal commission(link is external), The Australian reports. Confidential draft legislation reveals compensation payments of between $5000 and $150,000 — both below commission recommendations — as Canberra attempts to woo the states, territories and abuse institutions to opt into a $4 billion national scheme. The draft bill has been circulated to the states, and insiders believe the government will set a low bar for proving claims as part of the drive to prevent re-traumatizing victims, of whom an estimated 60,000 will seek redress over the next decade.” By CathNews.com

Sorry, Father, but the jig is up
“Until I read his piece in today’s (Sept. 4) edition of this newspaper, I had never heard of Father Brian McCoy. He takes me to task for either exaggerating or inventing claims of child abuse in Balgo(link is external). Violence of all kinds at Balgo was obvious in Balgo and the good Father must have missed it all. I do have people who knew what we were told about child sexual abuse when we visited.” Commentary by Graham Richardson in The Australian

Faith reclaimed: how survivors of clergy abuse return to the church
“Though individuals abused by clergy(link is external) regularly flee the church for good, others, like (Patsy) Seeley, eventually make a painful and circuitous journey back, finding the homecoming a transformative piece of their healing and a source of sustenance, peace and strength.” By Katie Scott, Catholic Sentinel

‘Shame keeps so many victims silent’: MN clergy abuse victim speaks out
“(Joe) McLean is one of hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse who have made clergy abuse claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis(link is external) in the past few years, forcing it into bankruptcy court. A Minneapolis bankruptcy court judge will hear arguments Tuesday (Aug. 28) over competing plans to move the organization back to financial stability. As the courtroom wrangling continues, McLean said he wanted to make his story public. It only happened once, but McLean said (Rev. Mike) Charland’s abuse and betrayal made him feel tainted, less worthy than others, and isolated. It contributed to his depression and alcoholism.” By Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public Radio

CALIFORNIA

A decade after settling sex abuse cases the diocese of San Diego still copes with the fallout
“Whenever Heidi Lynch thinks about priests molesting children, she shudders with memories of her own abuse(link is external) and worries whether the Catholic Church is doing all it can to protect potential victims. ‘Are they really taking care of the children?’ asked Lynch, a 60-year-old San Carlos resident, who between the ages of 8 and 11 was repeatedly raped by a priest. ‘Are they really taking care of the abusers? Are they still hiding this?’ Ten years ago this week, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle the lawsuits filed by Lynch and 143 other adults.” By Peter Rowe, Los Angeles Times

Judge to decide if ex-priest who molested boys can be committed indefinitely
“The accusations against ‘Father Dan’ were seemingly endless. Court records show more than two dozen boys and young men have alleged Daniel McCormack molested them in their youth(link is external), most notably at St. Agatha Parish on Chicago’s Southwest Side, where the young Roman Catholic priest coached basketball, taught algebra and delivered eloquent sermons … Now, almost eight years after McCormack completed his prison term, Illinois prosecutors want him declared a sexually violent person …” By Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune

Archdiocese bankruptcy plans face off in court
“Before an overflow crowd of clergy abuse survivors(link is external), a federal bankruptcy judge heard arguments Tuesday (Aug. 29) for two competing compensation plans to settle abuse claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. U.S. Judge Robert Kressel heard from more than 20 attorneys about the plans, which aim to put an end to more than two years of legal wrangling. The plan by the committee representing abuse survivors, calling for tougher settlements with insurance companies and far greater contributions from the archdiocese, faced objections from the archdiocese, parishes and insurance companies for being too far reaching and essentially ‘liquidating’ the archdiocese.” By Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune

Judge rules good cause to open files on three ex-priests accused of child sexual abuse
“A state district judge said Friday (Sept. 1) there is good cause to open sealed records on three former Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing children(link is external) across New Mexico. Judge Alan Malott said he will review three binders filled with years-old documents from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, including parts of depositions and personnel files, to decide which records will be released to the public for the first time.” By Andrew Oxford, Santa Fe New Mexican

NEW YORK

Disgraced ex-priest accused of sexually abusing teen in Saratoga County
“A disgraced former priest convicted in 2003 of sexually molesting a 13-year-old boy(link is external)on Long Island is facing new allegations in Saratoga County of sodomy, sexual abuse and using a child in a sexual performance. Michael Hands, 51, who was previously sentenced to two years in jail, also cooperated with investigators at the time in a probe of sexual abuse within the church because he too was a victim.” By Robert Gavin, Albany Times Union

Ex-priest Francis Stinner dies, but sex abuse controversy lives on
“Francis Stinner, a defrocked priest with ties to Somers, Bronxville, Chappaqua and Goshen, died earlier this month at the age of 76. But the sexual abuse controversy that has long surrounded him(link is external) did not die with him. At least three new claims of sexual abuse have been filed against the former Catholic priest and teacher through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program or IRCP, a special compensation program set up by the Archdiocese of New York.” By Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, lohud.com

OREGON

Fairfield priest in prison for child sexual abuse loses his chance to appeal
“A Catholic priest lost his attempt to appeal a 2013 conviction for taking a 10-year-old Price Hill boy across state lines and allegedly raping him(link is external). Robert ‘Father Bob’ Poandl, 76, is in prison after a jury in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati convicted him of taking an altar boy, David Harper, on a trip to serve Mass at a church in West Virginia and raping him in a rectory bedroom there in 1991.” By Paula Christian, WCPO-TV

PENNSYLVANIA

No charges against accused Catholic priest
“An investigation into sexual misconduct by a Catholic priest(link is external) in the Diocese of Scranton is closed after state police say the alleged victim refused to testify. The person came forward in April of 2016 accusing Fr. Martin Boylan of abuse when the alleged victim was just a child. Fr. Boylan was serving as pastor of St. Patrick’s parish in Scranton when those accusations were made. No charges were filed against Fr. Boylan.” By WNEP-TV

AUSTRALIA

Ex-Catholic priest Adrian Van Klooster jailed over child sex abuse drawings
“A retired Catholic priest, with a past history of sex abuse against children(link is external), has been jailed for a year after disturbing illustrations of children being abused by adults and other children were found on a CD at his home. Adrian Van Klooster, 75, was already a reportable sex offender and on the national pedophile register after being jailed for eight years in 2003 for the abuse of a group of children who were staying overnight at his parish house in Australind.” By Tim Clarke, The West Australian

Sexual abuse victim re-traumatized by Catholic Church compensation process
“A Victorian woman who was sexually abused as a teenager(link is external) says the process of getting compensation from the Catholic church was ‘unnecessarily agonizing’ and sent her to ‘an absolute state of unwellness.’ The woman’s revelation adds weight to calls for an independent redress scheme, the final framework of which is expected to be released in the coming weeks, following a proposal put forward by the federal government last year.” By Calla Wahlquist, The Guardian

Victims demand plaque depicting sex offender be removed from St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral
“The plaque on the external wall of the cathedral honors former Archbishop Sir Guilford Young and depicts the late Monsignor Philip Green. In 2004 Green pleaded guilty to assaulting a former altar boy(link is external) and was given a three-month suspended jail term. Julian Punch, a prominent former Hobart priest, also claimed he was sexually assaulted by the former Monsignor.” By Stephen Pigram, ABC News Australia

Liturgy launches Safeguarding Month
“The Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay is dedicating the month of September 2017 to Safeguarding, with the theme Compassion and Commitment. The month was officially launched with a Liturgy held at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral Waitara on Thursday 31 August. Led by Most Rev Peter A. Comensoli, Bishop of Broken Bay, the gathering came together to pray in solidarity for those affected by abuse(link is external).” By Diocese of Broken Bay

Vatican’s safeguarding expert visits Australia
“One of the Church’s front-line fighters against child sexual abuse(link is external), German Jesuit Fr Hans Zollner, is in Australia this week (Sept. 5) to share his experience and promote safeguarding efforts, reports The Catholic Leader. With a reputation as a reformer, Pope Francis named Fr Zollner a founding member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2014. Fr Zollner is president of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.” By CathNews.com

Australia’s worst ever pedophile priest to die in prison
“Australia’s worst paedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale will likely die in prison with another three years added to his sentence. The 83-year-old will spend a total of almost 33 years in jail in total for his unprecedented child sex crimes over three decades(link is external).” By Australia Associated Press and Nic White, Daily Mail Australia

Bunbury victim seeks justice for alleged child sex abuse by Catholic priest
Twenty years after Alan Rowe first approached the Catholic Church seeking an apology for alleged sexual abuse by a priest(link is external) in Bunbury, he is set to file writs against the Catholic Diocese of Bunbury in the New South Wales Supreme Court. Mr Rowe was an altar boy at St Patrick’s Cathedral in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He claims Father Kevin Johnston, one of the parish priests, abused him on about 12 separate occasions.” By Andrew Elstermann, WAToday

GUAM

Lawsuit: priest influenced altar boy to watch others being sexually abused
“Father Louis Brouillard sexually abused an altar boy(link is external) and influenced him to watch other boys being abused, a lawsuit filed late last month in the Superior Court of Guam states. The plaintiff, identified in court documents only as R.C. in order to protect his privacy, was sexually abused by Brouillard on church grounds and at Boy Scouts outings during the time he was an altar boy for the Barrigada and Tumon parishes and a boy scout with Troop 13, the lawsuit states.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Clergy sex abuse suit withdrawn
“A clergy sex abuse lawsuit accusing a now-deceased priest(link is external), filed earlier this week (Aug. 31) in federal court, has been voluntarily withdrawn. Through attorney David Lujan, accuser ‘A.J.A.’ on Aug. 31 filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of his lawsuit, which he originally filed Aug. 28. The plaintiff, now 61 and now living in Las Vegas, is identified in court documents only as A.J.A. to protect his privacy.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

16th priest accused in sex abuse suit
“Another Catholic clergy member on Guam has been accused of child sexual abuse(link is external), according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday (Sept. 5). Father Louis William Rink, who is now deceased, was sued by a former altar boy identified in documents only as R.R.C. to protect his privacy. The lawsuit accuses Rink of abusing the boy, who was 10, in Dededo in the 1980s. Rink is the 16th Guam clergy member accused in court of child sexual abuse.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Apuron’s attorney says claims against her client are time-barred
“As sex abuse cases against the Archdiocese of Agana(link is external) continue to be filed, Archbishop Anthony Apuron’s attorney Jacque Terlaje argues a motion to dismiss the four sexual abuse cases against her client saying that the claims are time-barred. Terlaje argued her client’s motion to dismiss on two grounds. ‘We have asked the court to dismiss the complaint involving the four Archbishop Anthony cases and that is simply because the plain statutory reading of the statue, that it did not apply to old cases such as the one Archbishop Anthony is involved in,’ stated Terlaje.” By Jolene Toves, Pacific News Center

INDIA

Indian priest charged with molesting student, bishop cries harassment
“A Catholic priest who is the principal of a school has been charged by police for molesting a girl student(link is external) in a central India state but bishops there say this is part of ongoing harassment against Christians. Police in Madhya Pradesh state Sept. 1 filed criminal charges against 40-year-old Father Sebastian Panthalluparambil, principal of the church-run Jyoti Senior Secondary School in Rewa, under Satna Diocese. The 17-year-old girl who made the complaint said two of them went to their principal’s office to seek his permission to organize a farewell program for a retiring teacher. The permission was denied and the principal ‘inappropriately touched’ her body, a police official told ucanews.com quoting the complaint.” By Saji Thomas, UCANews.com

PHILIPPINES

‘Forgive them Father for they have sinned’
“The Department of Justice has filed a case against Monsignor Arnel Lagajeros of the Diocese of Antipolo for molesting a minor(link is external). Lagajeros, 55, was caught in an entrapment operation while inside his gray Ford explorer at the parking area of Blue Wave Mall along Sumulong Hi-way in Barangay Sto. Nino, Marikina City, where he and the minor were supposed to meet. Lagajeros was not the first local prelate in the Catholic Church accused of sexual harassment or misconduct.” By The Manila Times

SICILY

Unpacking the ‘strong powers’ insulating lay group charged with abuse
“The leader of a lay Catholic group in Sicily, arrested for allegedly abusing six underage girls(link is external), was able to create a system of connections and relationships with high ranking members of the judiciary and political system, which kept himself and the group immune from government and ecclesiastical oversight.” By Claire Giangrave, Cruxnow.com

Former top Vatican official strikes back at Pope
“A top Vatican cardinal recently dismissed by Pope Francis struck back this week, calling the Pope’s treatment of him and other Vatican employees ‘unacceptable.’ ‘I cannot accept this way of doing things,’ Cardinal Gerhard Muller said(link is external) in an interview with German newspaper Passauer Neue Presse. ‘As a bishop, [the Pope] cannot treat people in this way.’ Francis informed Muller, the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican’s doctrinal office, that he would not be renewing his contract in a brief meeting on June 30, just two days before the contract expired.” By Delia Gallagher, CNN

First Vatican trial under laws against financial crime to open Tuesday
“Tuesday (Jul. 18) sees the start of the Vatican trial of two former officials of a papal hospital in Rome charged with illicitly using funds(link is external) to renovate the Vatican apartment of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, in a way that benefited a fellow Italian businessman. Bertone himself was not an object of the Vatican investigation and does not face any charges in the trial, which marks the first prosecution under new Vatican laws on financial crime.” By Ines San Martin, Cruxnow.com
— Vatican court refuses to stop embezzlement case(link is external), By Associated Press in The Sacramento Bee

Read the following note to readers for background on National Catholic Reporter’srecent series of stories on the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal. The stories are listed below this introduction:

Note to readers about content this week
“On the NCR website this week (Jul. 17), we will run a series of stories that will challenge our readers to look at the scandal of sexual abuse of minors(link is external) by clergy from several different viewpoints: from the perspective of a victim/survivor, from the perspective of a convicted offender, from the perspective of a family member of a victim, and from the perspective of professional advocates and watchdogs. The stories will make some people uncomfortable and others angry. It will be difficult reading, but my hope — my belief — is that it will make us confront a profound question about clergy sex abuse and the Catholic Church, namely, how do we as church, as a community of believers, bring healing to our wounded body? What cooperative acts of justice and mercy must we take as a community of believers to move forward in our journey of faith? Questions will be raised, but not all will be answered.” By Dennis Coday, National Catholic Reporter

Sister finds that faith sustains when institutions fail
“It’s a gorgeous spring day, and the sunshine is pouring into the bedroom of Dominican Sr. Sally Butler’s apartment in the Fort Greene neighborhood, brightening the already cheery lavender-painted walls … Butler, 86, can’t get out of bed because of spinal stenosis and arthritis. And even if she could, for the past 24 years, she says, she has had to find her connection to Christ outside the church. Though she has been in religious life for nearly 70 years, Butler is unable to believe in the institutional church anymore(link is external). But her faith in God, she says, has never been stronger.” By Dan Stockman, Global Sisters Report, National Catholic Reporter

‘Uncommon conversation’ on sex abuse falls silent
“An ‘uncommon conversation’ is on hold in Minnesota. After meeting a decade ago at a sex abuse treatment conference, Gil Gustafson and Susan Pavlak each came to see in their pasts a possible way forward(link is external) for their home archdiocese, St. Paul-Minneapolis, as it struggled to deal with the scandal of clergy sexual abuse. Pavlak, now 62, was sexually abused as a child by a teacher who was a former nun at a Catholic school. Gustafson, now 66, pleaded guilty in 1983 to sexually abusing a teenage boy, and has since admitted to abuse of three other male minors.” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter

‘All of us together’: Sex abuse survivor seeks healing within the church
“In this interview, Susan Pavlak, a lifelong resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, describes being sexually abused by her high school religion teacher(link is external), a former nun, beginning in 1970. The abuse, according to Pavlak, happened on several occasions over four years. The alleged perpetrator, whom Pavlak has chosen not to identify by name in this interview, has never been charged in a criminal court; and Pavlak has never sought damages from any party in a civil court.” By Luke Hansen, National Catholic Reporter

Convicted soul: a priest-perpetrator of child sexual abuse shares his story
“Gilbert Gustafson was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1977, served as an associate priest at St. Mary of the Lake Parish in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, until 1982, pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a minor(link is external) in 1983, and served four and a half months in jail and 10 years’ probation. Gustafson has admitted to abusing four boys between 1978 and 1982. He was not criminally charged in the other cases.” By Luke Hansen, National Catholic Reporter

The clergy’s task is unfinished in confronting sex abuse
“The story of Marie Collins, an Irish victim of clergy sex abuse and a witness of unimpeachable integrity(link is external), is a dual tale of how far the church has come in acknowledging and handling the scandal and of how wholly and demonstrably incapable the Catholic clerical culture is of dealing with its own sin. Collins was one of two survivors of clergy sex abuse who were appointed in 2014 to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, an agency created by Pope Francis. She resigned the commission in March … Three years after her appointment, she wrote: ‘I have come to the point where I can no longer be sustained by hope. As a survivor, I have watched events unfold with dismay.’” By Tom Roberts, National Catholic Reporter

POPE FRANCIS

Can anything burst Pope’s media bubble? Probably not
“Next March will mark the five-year anniversary of Francis’s papacy, and one interesting question is whether the broad media love affair with Francis will still be in place(link is external) when that moment comes. John Allen says “probably yes,” because by now the positive narrative surrounding Francis has become so entrenched as to be basically impervious to reconsideration.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Vatican article says ‘main obstacle’ for Pope Francis is bishops, priests
“Shortly after one Vatican article stirred debate by asserting there’s an ‘ecumenism of hate’ in the U.S. between conservative Evangelicals and Catholics, another over the weekend asserted that the ‘main obstacle’ to implementing Pope Francis’s vision for the Church is ‘closure, if not hostility’ from ‘a good part of the clergy(link is external), at levels both high and low.’” By Crux Staff, Cruxnow.com

Pope Francis’ next act
“These four very different departures (Cardinal George Pell, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, Cardinal Joachim Meisner and Cardinal Angelo Scola) have a combined effect: They weaken resistance to Francis in the highest reaches of the hierarchy(link is external). And they raise the question facing the remainder of his pontificate: With high-level opposition thinned out and the Benedict/John Paul II vision in eclipse, how far does the pope intend to push?” By Ross Douthat, The New York Times

CARDINALS

Headed to court, Cardinal Pell is no stranger to controversy
“Cardinal George Pell, who this week will become the highest ranked church official ever to face sex abuse charges in court(link is external), may be the most polarizing religious leader in Australia’s brief history. The former Archbishop of Sydney will appear in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on July 26 to answer yet-unspecified charges of historical sexual abuse involving multiple complainants, which he resolutely denies. The complaints apparently long predate his present Vatican role as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, often but misleadingly referred to as number three in the Vatican hierarchy behind the pope and secretary of state. It is a staggering fall from grace for the combative cardinal.” By Barney Zwartz, National Catholic Reporter

Why Pope Francis’ appointment of the new archbishop of Milan is a big deal
“The Vatican announced on July 7 that Pope Francis had appointed Auxiliary Bishop Mario Delpini as the next archbishop of Milan(link is external), succeeding the retiring Cardinal Angelo Scola. Bishop Delpini, a native of the archdiocese, lives in a very modest home mostly for retired priests about a mile northeast of the cathedral, with its old and venerable archbishop’s palace across the piazza. He is in close contact with the clergy of the archdiocese, where he has served most of his priestly life.” By Edward W. Schmidt, America: The Jesuit Review

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Austria: more and more girls as altar servers
“Altar service is still attractive for children and teenagers(link is external): it is confirmed by the figures presented by Simon Mödl, in charge of the service for the ‘Young Church’ from the archdiocese of Vienna. With respect to the decrease in other sectors, said Mödl to the agency of the Austrian Catholic Church Kathpress, ‘here, figures are incredibly stable, and the flow of boys and girls is constant.’ Following a research, from 2014, almost 55% of the over 45 thousand Austrian altar servers – including 10 thousand in the archdiocese of Vienna only – have been female.” By SIR: Servizio Informazione Religiosa, agensir.it

VATICAN

New website for Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family, Life
“The Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has a new way to interact with the world: a new website(link is external) launched this week. The new site offers news about the Dicastery’s activities, as well as social updates and videos. Explaining its mission, the Dicastery says, ‘The new website, in addition to telling about the Dicastery’s activities, wants to become a familiar place for lay people and families, where everyone will feel at ease and have [a] chance to be heard.’” By Vatican Radio

CLERICALISM

That sneaky clericalism
“Jesus warned about it. Luther revolted against it. Pope Francis is trying to deal with it. Yet clericalism – a priest or clergyman placing himself above the laity(link is external) – is still alive. We all know its effects are negative: abuse of power, passivity of the laity (“pray, pay, and obey”) and “project[ing] an image of power and privilege” of the Church in the context of poverty. Conceretely, it’s why many have left the Church in disillusionment. So why does clericalism continue?” By Henoch Derbew, The Jesuit Post

Catholic parishes to pay higher fees
“To help Guam’s Catholic Church correct past financial mismanagement, pay debts and properly fund chancery operations, village parishes will see an average of 186-percent increases in assessment fees(link is external). This means up to a 1,146-percent hike for the Maina parish, for example, which used to pay only $107.82, church data shows. The Dededo parish, the biggest, will be assessed $10,763.45 instead of the $5,481.26 imposed six years ago, or an increase of 96 percent.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Questions multiply by the day in latest Vatican money scandal
“Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the former Secretary of State under Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, has denied rumors of involvement in a scheme(link is external) to overpay for remodeling on his Vatican apartment in order to benefit an Italian businessman and longtime friend. Meanwhile, questions remain about how the businessman was able to bill two different Vatican departments almost $1 million for the same work, which was never even finished.” By Crux Staff, Cruxnow.com

Priest admitted in 2007 to using parish checks for home construction
“A decade before he was charged with embezzlement(link is external), Rev. Jonathan Wehrle admitted to writing checks from St. Martha Parish to pay for the construction of his $1.48 million home. In November 2007, Wehrle told lawyer Michael Ryan that at times he transferred money from his personal accounts to the church’s account, then issued checks from the church’s account for personal use.” By Beth LeBlanc, Lansing State Journal

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

Legislator wants tougher hidden predator act to pursue sex offenders
“When his bill extending the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims was signed into law in 2015, State Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine) knew it didn’t go far enough(link is external). The lawsuits that have been filed since the Hidden Predator Act took effect bear him out. While the law allows victims to go after the individuals they say abused them, the businesses and nonprofits that allegedly enabled or covered up predatory behavior have so far avoided any potential financial liability.” By Christian Boone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Statute of limitations on child abuse cases should be longer
“Rarely does a month go by without us having to publish a police or court report involving an adult who has victimized a child sexually(link is external). It was only a few short weeks ago we reported charges against a Cassadaga man accused of alleged sexual conduct with a child under the age of 11. There are enough such cases for Patrick Swanson, county district attorney, to suggest adding money to his budget next year to assign a prosecutor solely to sexual crimes against children.” By The Post-Journal

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

‘The Keepers’: here’s what has happened since the Netflix series debuted
“‘The Keepers’ debuted two months ago, and since then, filmmaker Ryan White has seen positive developments in the case(link is external): More victims have spoken out and police are investigating further into Father Joseph Maskell’s past life.” By Beatrice Verhoeven, SFGate.com

How the Catholic Church’s hierarchy makes it difficult to punish sexual abusers
“…While reforms in the Catholic Church in the United States have made it mandatory for priests to report instances of sexual abuse, there still remains much work to be done(link is external) in the Catholic Church worldwide. From my perspective as a Catholic scholar of religion, one of the challenges in tackling this issue is the hierarchy of the church itself. It is still difficult to hold high-ranking clerics responsible, either for the misdeeds of their subordinates or for the crimes that they may have committed themselves …” By Mathew Schmalz, SFGate.com

ILLINOIS

Catholic order settles abuse case years later
“The Claretians Roman Catholic order has settled a lawsuit from a man sexually abused as a 6-year-old(link is external) by a teenager who later became a prominent priest in Chicago, confirming in the settlement obtained by The Associated Press that the longtime cleric recently left the priesthood. But Bruce Wellems, 60, still works as executive director of a nonprofit that offers youth mentoring, alternative schooling and other programs for children, according to a staff list at the Peace and Education Coalition. Its head office is also located in the same southwest side Chicago church where he served as priest for two decades.” By Michael Tarm, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

KANSAS

Father claims Overland Park priest ‘tickled,’ touched young daughter
“Hours after the Archdiocese of KCK announced the suspension of priest Scott Kallal on Tuesday (Jul. 18), a man who claims his daughter was sexually assaulted(link is external) by Kallal came forward with new allegations. The Archdiocese announced in a statement Monday (Jul. 17) afternoon that Kallal was suspended from his position at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park after two sources came forward with allegations of wrongdoing.” By KSHB-TV

MASSACHUSETTS

Paul Shanley, priest at center of clergy sex abuse scandal, to be released
“One of the most notorious figures in the Boston clergy sex abuse scandal(link is external) has completed his prison sentence on child rape charges and will be released this week (Jul. 26) after two experts hired by prosecutors found he does not meet the legal criteria to be held as a sexually dangerous person. Paul Shanley was known in the 1960s and ’70s for being a hip street priest who reached out to troubled youths.” By Denise Lavoie, Associated Press, on WBUR.org

Man sues Boston Archdiocese citing sex abuse at orphanage
“A New York man is suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston for sexual abuse he says he suffered decades ago(link is external) at a church-affiliated home for orphaned and foster children. Andre Jones, who’s 51, said Monday (Jul. 17) that he was abused in the 1970s by the late Brother Edward Anthony Holmes, a supervisor and counselor at the now-shuttered Nazareth Child Care Center.” By Philip Marcelo, Associated Press

PENNSYLVANIA

Disgraced Catholic priest loses appeal of ‘sex tourism’ convictions for molesting orphans
“A former Catholic priest from Somerset County who was convicted of engaging in ‘sexual tourism(link is external)’ to molest poor orphans in Honduras has lost an appeal of his nearly 17-year prison sentence. That defeat came this week when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected Joseph D. Maurizio Jr.’s claims that he didn’t receive a fair trial.” By Matt Miller, PennLive.com

Advocacy group demands Greensburg Diocese release ‘secret files’
“An advocacy group believes that Greensburg Bishop Edward Malesic may be withholding evidence, hidden in secret files(link is external) known as Canon 489 files, pertaining to the arrest of the Rev. John T. Sweeney. The group thinks the files could contain evidence of the sexual abuse of children. Diocesan law describes the files as archives meant to be ‘kept secret, locked, and protected.’ On Tuesday (Jul. 25), the Diocese said it has turned over every file on Sweeney, including the Canon 489 files, to the attorney general.” By WTAE-TV Pittsburgh

Court upholds priest’s sex-abuse conviction involving orphans in Honduras
“A federal appeals court on Monday (Jul. 24) upheld the conviction of a former Somerset County priest who was found guilty in 2015 of traveling to Honduras to sexually abuse orphans(link is external) and sentenced last year to more than 16 years in federal prison. The Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio Jr., who at the time of his September 2014 arrest was the pastor at Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish in Central City, had asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to overturn his conviction.” By Mark Pesto, Tribune-Democrat

Retired Westmorland County priest accused of forcing boy to perform oral sex
“A now-retired Roman Catholic priest is accused of forcing a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy to perform oral sex on him after counseling the 4th-grader about misbehaving on a school bus. The state attorney general’s office said Monday (Jul. 24) that the Rev. John Thomas Sweeney committed felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse(link is external) against the boy at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell.” By Associated Press on WJACTV.com

Western Pennsylvania Catholics, victims react to latest abuse arrest
“Area Catholics and ex-Catholics who testified before a state grand jury that met in 2014 to investigate Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse(link is external) reacted Monday (Jul. 24) to the news of another abuse allegation with a mixture of relief and anger. ‘Being one of those people who came forward, this is a very proud day for me,’ said Shaun Dougherty, 47, formerly of Johnstown. ‘If this arrest came as a result of anything I testified to … that’s why I came forward.’” By Stephen Huba, TribLive.com

AUSTRALIA

Priest John Denham to face fresh Taree child sex allegations
“Convicted child sex offender Catholic priest John Denham has been charged with fresh offenses after a man alleged he was sexually abused(link is external) at Taree in the late 1970s by Denham, senior Maitland-Newcastle priest Barry Tunks and two other men. Manning/Great Lakes Local Area Command detectives charged Denham, 76, with three sexual assault offences more than two months after charging former Vicar General Barry Tunks, 76, in March with three indecent assault offences against the same boy in Catholic Church facilities at Taree.” By Joanne McCarthy, Newcastle Herald

George Pell braces for first court appearance amid accusations of Salem which hunt and slaughter of lambs
“People who have accused Cardinal George Pell of molesting them could be ‘lambs to the slaughter’ when legal proceedings begin(link is external), a Victorian lawyer representing sex abuse survivors fears. Australia’s most senior cleric will appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court next week on multiple historical sex charges, which one of Pell’s close friends has likened to a Salem witch hunt.” By Mark Saunokonoko, 9news.com.au

‘It killed part of me,’ clergy abuse victim says
“An Ottawa man has become the latest victim to sue the Archdiocese of Ottawa for sexual abuse that he allegedly suffered(link is external) at the hands of the city’s most notorious Catholic priest, Rev. Dale Crampton. Robert Sullivan has filed a $2-million damages claim for abuse that he says began when he was just 10 years old.” By Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen

GUAM

Former priest, Boy Scout leader, accused in new abuse suits
“A man on Tuesday (Jul. 18) filed a lawsuit, alleging that now-deceased Boy Scouts of America scout leader Edward Pereira raped and sexually abused him(link is external) in the early 1970s. It is the first of 93 sexual abuse lawsuits that does not name the Archdiocese of Agana as a defendant. Another lawsuit filed Tuesday (Jul. 18), by a man now living in California, alleges that now-deceased priest Ray Techaira sexually abused him when he was a Catholic school student in the mid-1980s.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Five more sex abuse lawsuits filed against the Church
“Nearly 100 sex abuse lawsuits(link is external) have been filed against the Church. Late Thursday afternoon (Jul. 14), five more cases were filed in the District Court of Guam. 53-year-old R.W.J., 50-year-old P.P.R., and 58-year-old W.E.T. all allege they were molested by Father Louis Brouillard. P.P.R. goes into detail saying that aside from being exposed to the priest naked as well as naked swims it the river, the priest would molest him in a room behind the Church altar. The priest would tell the young boy that it was what God wanted him to do and that it was a sin if he didn’t do as Brouillard asked.” By Krystal Paco, KUAM-TV

Victim alleges sex abuse before grandma’s funeral
“Attorney David Lujan filed five more clergy sex abuse lawsuits(link is external) against the Archdiocese of Agana, Boy Scouts of America and two former Guam priests in federal court yesterday (Jul. 12) afternoon. One of the cases alleges defrocked priest Raymond Cepeda abused a boy after officiating the funeral Mass for the boy’s deceased grandmother, and while in a car ride to the burial site. The latest cases also added more cases against former Guam priest Louis Brouillard.” By Neil Pang, The Guam Daily Post

Guam’s Catholic Church could sell 41 properties to settle abuse cases
“The Guam Catholic church’s financial arm on Thursday (Jul. 13) released a list of 41 non-essential properties that could be sold to help settle more than 90 Guam clergy sexual abuse cases(link is external). The most valuable of the assets are the former Accion Hotel, which now houses the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Yona, the chancery complex where the archbishop lives, and the former Thomas Aquinas High School in Ordot, the Archdiocesan Finance Council said.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

INDIA

Kerala: Catholic priest held for sodomizing two boys
“A Kerala priest accused of sodomizing minor boys(link is external) was arrested by the police on Tuesday (Jul. 17). The suspect Fr. Saji Joseph, 45, was director of St. Vincent’s Balabhavan at Meenangadi in Waynad district. He was accused of sodomizing minor boys staying in the hostel since 2016. The incident came to light after a victim confided the ordeals to his mother when he went home for vacation recently.” By Gladwin Emmanuel, Mumbai Times

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Irish priest who exposed pedophile to sue Florida diocese for defamation
“An Irish priest has been given permission by a US court to sue the West Palm Beach diocese over defamation. Father John Gallagher, a Tyrone native, claimed the Florida diocese tried to cover-up a pedophile priest(link is external) in the diocese. Gallagher exposed him and was shunned and defamed as a result. In January 2015, Gallagher (49), who has served in Florida since 2000, helped to report criminal misconduct by Fr. Jose Palimattom, a priest of the Franciscan Province of St. Thomas the Apostle in India, who was serving a two-year residency at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, in West Palm Beach.” By Staff at Irish Central

No justice for a life destroyed
“Victims of historic abuse(link is external) in state care are fighting back, demanding justice – in cash and apologies – to help rebuild broken lives. But some are going further. In the second part of ODT Insight’s special investigation, Chris Morris tells Darryl Smith’s story.” By Chris Morris, Otago Daily Times

Annual audit of church abuse allegations shows work still needed
“The 14th annual report on diocesan compliance with the U.S. Catholic Church’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People shows that church leaders have taken steps to help many find healing as victims of clergy sexual abuse, but there is still work to be done(link is external) … Any allegation involving a current minor should remind the bishops that they must rededicate themselves each day to maintaining a level of vigilance.” By Carol Zimmerman, Catholic News Service

No one is monitoring former abusive priests
“The parents of boys who accused a priest of sexual abuse(link is external) wrote to the Chicago Archdiocese more than two decades ago: ‘You’re repeatedly asking ‘what do we want’? It’s one more insult. ‘What we want’ should be totally obvious. We want something done about these priests.’” By Nicole Sotelo, National Catholic Reporter

French cardinal to face new legal action over pedophile cover-up
“Almost a year after the French justice system decided to drop criminal proceedings against Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, and six others for failing to report sexual abuse of boy scouts committed by a priest, the case has been reopened(link is external) … ‘If we stop now, who will bring the debate into the public domain?’ said François Devaux, the head of La Parole Libérée (‘Lift the Burden of Silence’).” By Bénévent Tosseri, La Croix International

The church must build ‘spiritual ramps’ to sex abuse survivors
“ … But what about the Catholic faithful who are inhibited from entering the church(link is external), not by a physical disability but a sacramental one? When survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy encounter the symbols of Christianity through which they were abused, they may experience feelings ranging from severe discomfort to panic attacks. I consider these ‘sacramental disabilities.’ By Lea Karen Kivi, America: The Jesuit Review (Ms. Kivi is a member of Voice of the Faithful’s Broken Vessel™ Healing Circles program leadership committee)

POPE FRANCIS

We’re watching Pope Francis institutionalize his vision
“Pope Francis on Friday(Jun. 9) took part in a dedication ceremony for a new Vatican headquarters for ‘Scholas Occurentes,’ dedicated to building networks of schools around the world(link is external). Like the World Meeting of Popular Movements, Francis is institutionalizing his vision, ensuring that his initiatives to promote social activism and hear the voices of the base will survive his papacy and form part of his legacy.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Pope’s friend says Francis simply doesn’t fit any ideology
“Marcelo Figueroa, a Protestant and a close friend of Pope Francis who is now editing the Argentinian edition of the Vatican newspaper ‘L’Osservatore Romano(link is external)‘ in order to get past the local spin on the pope’s words, says that ‘trying to match or relate Francis to an ideology, be it an economic or political one, whatever the name of the ideology, is a mistake.’” By Ines San Martin, Cruxnow.com

CARDINALS

Council of Cardinals considers decentralizing authority over permanent deacons
“The group of cardinals advising Pope Francis on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy has considered specific ways to decentralize authority in the Catholic church, proposing in particular that more responsibility for permanent deacons could move from Rome to local bishops’ conferences(link is external). The nine member Council of Cardinals spoke in their June 12-14 meeting about ‘transferring some faculties from the Roman Curia to local bishops or bishops’ conferences,’ Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said in a short briefing June 14.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Eyeing Catholic demographics, and maybe his successor, Pope Francis shakes up his cardinals
“Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has been appointing cardinals from far-flung parts of the world — choosing men who appear to be toiling away at pastoral work with little or no interest in becoming ‘princes of the church.’(link is external) Next month (July), during their council, or consistory, Francis will formally induct five more of them into the exclusive club, meaning that he will have appointed close to half of those who will elect his successor. It is these prelates who, at an unspecified date in the future and providing they are under the age of 80, will process into the Sistine Chapel during the next conclave.” By Christopher Lamb, Religion News Service

BISHOPS

Fostering safe environments in the Church
“On June 14, as they begin the spring meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Indianapolis, the bishops of the United States will celebrate a ‘Mass of Prayer and Penance’ for survivors of sexual abuse within the Church(link is external). This is a good and important occasion. Sexual abuse is a heinous crime, one that cries out for penance and prayer. This is especially true when the Church, the sacrament of salvation, is the setting in which sexual abuse has taken place, violating sacred trust and causing real spiritual harm.” By J.D. Flynn, National Catholic Register

Immigration, religious liberty and synod on agenda for bishops’ meeting
“The proverbial plate is full of issues for U.S. bishops(link is external) to tackle at their upcoming spring assembly June 14-15 in Indianapolis. They will discuss issues ranging from immigration to religious freedom, as well as the Synod of Bishops on youth and the Fifth National Encuentro gathering, both coming up in 2018. ‘We’re certainly going to talk about the upcoming convocation in Orlando, some of the specific plans,’ said Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, referring to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America, July 1-4, in Orlando, Florida.’” By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

From ‘Spotlight’ to ‘Keepers,’ Richard Sipe sees celibate priesthood as problem for the Catholic Church
“Richard Sipe, the former priest who spent 25 years studying the sexual behavior of the Catholic clergy, appears in ‘Keepers,’ the Netflix documentary series about the unsolved murder of Sister Catherine Cesnick and the monstrous abuse of some of her students … Sipe famously helped the Boston Globe reporters who broke the story of widespread abuse by priests in Massachusetts … He argued then, and argues now, that child sexual abuse by the clergy should be addressed as part of an examination of celibacy(link is external), which, he says, stunts the psychological development of priests, leaving them emotionally unprepared for the celibate life.” By Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

No more audible gasps in church, please
“Recent events in the Hartford Archdiocese underscore our church’s profound challenges(link is external), yet also point the way to toward a better future. Archbishop Leonard Blair recently announced a sweeping and painful reorganization: consolidating 212 churches down into 126 … As part of that process, one parish’s congregants were briefed about the broader context. Since 1969, the number of Catholics in the archdiocese had declined by 69 percent; the number of priests had fallen by roughly two-thirds. One parishioner told National Catholic Reporter that such statistics were greeted by an audible gasp in the church … Consider that ‘audible gasp’ as an indictment of sorts and a cry to do things differently from now on: parishioners should never be in a position to be shocked by news about the ongoing health of their own parishes and diocese.” By Chris Lowney, National Catholic Reporter

Catholic parishes prepare for changes to take effect June 29
“Parishes across the Archdiocese of Hartford are facing big decisions as they prepare(link is external)for a long-anticipated reorganization plan, which takes effect June 29. Creating single parishes by merging two or more has broad implications, ranging from the emotional to the pragmatic, including questions of what will be done with church buildings, stained glass windows and other religious items, and how best to consolidate parish staff.” By Jordan Otero Sisson, Hartford Courant
— Long decline in attendance led to Catholic church mergers(link is external), By Daniela Altimari, Hartford Courant

WOMEN DEACONS

The Case for Women Deacons
Dr. Phyllis Zagano discussed the ordination of women deacons recently with Sebastian Gomes of Salt + Light Catholic Media in Canada. Listen to the conversation(link is external) as Phyllis cites the presence of women deacons from the first years of the Church through the 12th century and how a focus on priesthood gradually eliminated the idea of permanent deacons. Now that the permanent diaconate has been restored by the Second Vatican Council, why shouldn’t it extend to women as well, just as in the past? By Salt+Light Catholic Media in Canada

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Patriarchy, not nature, makes women unequal
“In a new collection of papers published by an Indian pontifical college, a diverse range of bishops, theologians and lay professionals challenges the global Catholic church to break down ecclesial structures that place women on an unequal or subservient standing(link is external). As Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios, one of the contributors to ‘Gender Justice in the Church and Society: Papers of the Second DVK National Seminar on Moral Theology’ (Dharmaram Publications, 476 pages, $25), puts it: The women who prayed with men in the Gospel accounts were there ‘not to cook for them but to pray along with them.’” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Catholic young women launch self-led initiatives across U.S. after forum
“Catholic women from dioceses across all 50 U.S. states(link is external) have decided to put their faith into action. In a forum sponsored by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious more than 300 women carried out ‘action plans’ following the June 2016 Given Forum at The Catholic University of America.” By Catholic News Service on Cruxnow.com

Uphold a woman’s right to contribute fully to society, pope says
“The more women are involved in and contribute to communities, politics, economics and the church, the more positive changes will come about, Pope Francis said. ‘Women are fully entitled to actively take part in all settings,(link is external) and their rights must be affirmed and protected, including through legal instruments wherever it may prove necessary,’ he said June 9. The pope was speaking to members, consultors and guests of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, which was holding its plenary assembly in Rome June 7-9. Participants had discussed the role of women in teaching universal fraternity.” By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

Cuomo’s silence is deafening as time runs out on child sex abuse bill
“As the state’s legislative session winds to a close, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to announce his support for the Child Victims Act(link is external) despite his promises to survivors that he’d help get a bill passed this year. The act, which would extend the restrictive time frame for victims of child sexual abuse to seek justice, recently sailed through the Assembly with a vote of 139 to 7 before stalling, as such bills do, in the state Senate.” By Lauren Evans, The Village Voice

Assembly passes child victims act
“In a historic moment and after years of lobbying, an emotionally charged State Assembly today passed the Child Victims Act legislation(link is external), 129-7, extending the statute of limitation for criminal and civil child sex abuse cases. It was the first time that either chamber of the legislature has approved the measure after 10 years of lobbying.” By Kings County Politics

Statute of limitations bills stalled
“It’s been several months since I’ve written about efforts to extend legislative justice to more victims of child sex abuse in Pennsylvania. That’s mostly because those efforts are stalled(link is external). I’ll get back to that.” By Bill White, The Morning Call

Sexual abusers shouldn’t be allowed to run the clock
“I was only 9 years old when my landlord’s teenage son led me into the basement with the promise of new toys. Instead, he forced me to touch him. He made me do things(link is external) my young body and mind weren’t prepared to do. I distinctly remember how the damp floor and walls smelled of mildew, and how cold it was. I begged him to stop.” By Fabio Cotza, The New York Times

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Let’s call child sexual abuse in the church what it is: Catholic extremism
“…The royal commission has heard from victims of abuse in many religious and state-run institutions, but the Catholic church (my church, and Abbott’s too) stands out(link is external). Over 4,000 cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic church were reported to the royal commission. These reports showed wilful ignorance by church leaders, systematic shielding of abusers and a continual preference for the perpetrator and the institution over the victim. …” By Kristina Kelly, The Guardian

Fifteen years after Dallas, a seven-part series
“The 2002 Dallas Bishops’ Conference was a barn-burner. On the heels of the Spotlight series and scandals in dioceses across the nation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops got together at their annual June meeting to put together ‘massive reforms.’ Those reforms became the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its accompanying Norms … So, in honor of the 15th anniversary of the 2002 Dallas Charter, I thought I would take a look at some recent scandals that show us that the problem is far from over(link is external) and that any glad-handing on behalf of the members of the USCCB this week is just for show. Nothing has changed, except the window dressing. The Charter, which the Bishops have been hailing as ‘watershed’ document in child protection, I contend, is a massive failure. Fifteen years after Dallas, the protesters may be gone, but the disgust remains.” By Joelle Casteix, The Worthy Adversary

‘I lost faith in God … But I’m now pursuing faith in justice’: child sexual abuse survivors lobby for reform
“Inspired by his oath of honesty when enlisting in the Navy, 21-year-old recruit Shaun Dougherty decided to be truthful about what had happened to him as a child. He finally opened up to his parents on his first Christmas break from the boot camp in 1991. Dougherty told them about the three-year long sexual abuse(link is external) he had endured in 1980 starting at age 10 as a fifth-grader at St. Clement School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His abuser was George Koharchik ― a longtime Catholic priest, pastor at St. Clement Church, and Dougherty’s basketball coach and religion teacher. His parents, who had attended the Mass conducted by Koharchik for many years at the same church where young Shaun was an altar boy, did not believe him.” By Ilgin Yorulmaz, Huffington Post

CONNECTICUT

Settlement paid to sexual abuse victim from Norwalk Catholic Church
“A male victim of sexual abuse(link is external) at the hands of a Norwalk Catholic priest in the 1970s and ’80s will be paid an undisclosed financial settlement, one of five such settlements in Connecticut recently approved by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, reports the Stamford Advocate.” By Alfred Branch, Norwalk Patch

ILLINOIS

Judge denies new trial for St. Louis priest’s accuser; orders her to pay
“A judge has denied a woman’s request for a new civil trial seeking damages against a Roman Catholic priest(link is external) after a Lincoln County jury in April found insufficient evidence that he fondled her at her home. St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer on Monday also ordered the woman to pay legal expenses of the St. Louis Archdiocese and the Rev. Xiu Hui “Joseph” Jiang totaling $48,516.84. Ohmer’s order requires she pay $19,316.51 to the archdiocese and $29,200.33 to Jiang.” By Joel Currier, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Catholic priest reaches plea deal on sex abuse
“A Catholic priest has reached a plea agreement on sexual abuse charges(link is external) that occurred at a summer camp that he ran for decades in Kentucky. R. Joseph Hemmerle was facing allegations of abuse from a second person who said Hemmerle abused him at Camp Tall Trees in Meade County. Hemmerle was also convicted in November of abusing a boy who attended the camp in the 1970s and sentenced in February to seven years imprisonment. Prosecutors say Hemmerle’s plea deal for sexual abuse and wanton endangerment calls for an additional two years imprisonment and eight years of probation.” By Dylan Lovan, Associated Press in The Washington Post

LOUISIANA

Court rejects child molesting priest’s appeal
“An appeals court has rejected the appeal of a former priest convicted of rape(link is external), molestation and sexual battery of children. Mark Broussard was convicted by a Calcasieu Parish jury last spring of five child sex charges. The crimes occurred while he was a Catholic priest in the 1980s. He’s no longer a priest; he left the church in 1994, according to evidence presented at his trial.” By KATC-TV

MARYLAND

‘Keepers’ priest Maskell spent time in Ireland, now under scrutiny
“Public health officials in Ireland say they are reviewing the work history of the Catholic priest profiled in the Netflix series ‘The Keepers,’ who was employed as a psychologist in that country after leaving Baltimore amid sexual abuse allegations(link is external). The priest, A. Joseph Maskell, worked in Wexford for about seven months in 1995 as a temporary clinical psychologist for an Irish public health board, according to the national health agency there. He later worked in private practice in Ireland between 1995 and 1998, church officials in Ireland say.” By Alison Knezevich, The Baltimore Sun

MINNESOTA

Judge laments $15 million in legal fees in St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese bankruptcy
“The judge overseeing the bankruptcy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis expressed concern Thursday (May 18) over the legal fees being racked up in the case — about $15 million to date. ‘It bothers me so much that all these attorney fees are being run up,’ U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel said at a hearing Thursday(May 18), adding that legal fees are consuming funds that could be directed to survivors(link is external) of archdiocese clergy sex abuse.” By Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune

NEW YORK

Syracuse diocese, former priest facing lawsuit over sexual abuse claims
“A California man is suing the Syracuse Catholic Diocese and a former priest for $25 million, claiming that he was sexually abused(link is external) nearly 30 years ago, according to the criminal complaint. The lawsuit was filed on Friday, June 2, in Connecticut by Matthew Strzepek who alleges former priest, Felix Colosimo, molested him from 1987 through 1990 when he was only 12-15 years old.” By Justine Marschner, CYNCentral.com

Seven victims name priests who sexually abused them as children
“Seven men who were abused as children by priests(link is external) of the Archdiocese of New York revealed on Thursday (May 18) some of the details of the settlements they had received through the archdiocese’s new sexual abuse survivor compensation fund. Since October, more than 100 victims have settled their sex abuse cases with the archdiocese by taking their claims to the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program. But very few details have been revealed because the program keeps the cases confidential, and no victims have yet spoken out.” By Sharon Otterman, The New York Times

Priest removed from ministry after allegations of abuse
“A Catholic priest in the Yakima Valley town of Granger has been removed from all public ministry following allegations by a young man that the priest sexually abused him(link is external). The Catholic Diocese of Yakima said Monday (Jun. 12) that it took the action against the Rev. Gustavo Gomez Santos from Our Lady of Guadalupe parish.” By Associated Press in The Dispatch, Granger, Washington

AUSTRALIA

Former Catholic priest, 75, jailed for just four months
“A predator Catholic priest who fondled an eight-year-old girl(link is external) in 1974 will spend just four months behind bars after pleading guilty to the historic sexual abuse offences. Friar Anthony Colbourne, now aged 75, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Tuesday (May 23) to indecently assaulting the girl on four separate occasions in the presbytery and his office.” By Daniel Peters, Daily Mail Australia

Fifty years on, Melbourne priest charged with sexual assault of Aboriginal girls
“A retired Catholic priest from Melbourne has been charged with the sexual assault of four Aboriginal girls(link is external) at a West Australian orphanage more than 50 years ago. Father Allan Mithen, 78, was recently arrested in Clifton Hill over the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when he served as rector at the Wandering Mission between 1965 and 1969.” By Cameron Houston, The Age, Victoria

Australian police closer to deciding Vatican abuse charges
“Australian police said Wednesday (May 17) they were a step closer to deciding whether to charge a top Vatican cardinal over allegations of sexual assault(link is external) dating back decades. Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ top financial adviser and Australia’s most senior Catholic, has long been dogged by allegations he mishandled cases of clergy abuse when he was archbishop of Melbourne and, later, Sydney. More recently, Pell has faced accusations of child abuse himself when he was a young priest in the 1970s. Pell, who runs the Vatican’s economy ministry, has repeatedly denied all the allegations.” By Associated Press on ABC-TV News Australia

Catholic Priest who repeatedly raped and assaulted boys is facing jail
“Father Eugene Fitzpatrick, 68, was found guilty of the horrific attacks(link is external) at Blackfriars Crown Court yesterday after he denied all charges. He raped one boy multiple times between 1986 and 1992 while working at Our Lady and Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Balls Pond Road, Islington.” By Sam Gelder, Islington Gazette

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

Catholic Church sent pedophile priests away ‘for them to be fixed’: prosecutors turned blind eye to abuse
“The Catholic Church in Scotland has admitted it made a ‘huge mistake’ by sending pedophile priests away to be ‘fixed’(link is external) rather than prosecuting them. A senior cleric said yesterday (Jun. 7) that abuse was seen as a ‘sin’ and the church focused more on ‘treating’ child molesters than on helping their young victims. He said there were occasions when prosecutors turned a blind eye and agreed not to bring charges on the condition abusers received therapy, with their crimes seen as a ‘moral fault that could be fixed by prayer and retreat.’” By Graham Grant, Daily Mail

GUAM

New priest named in sexual abuse lawsuit
“A 14-year-old altar boy who aspired to be a priest in the early 1980s is the latest victim to come forward alleging sexual abuse by a member of the clergy(link is external). Francis Charfauros, who now resides in Arizona, filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Guam against the Archdiocese of Agana and the Capuchin Franciscans accusing the late Father John ‘Jack’ Niland of sexually abusing and molesting him when he was a young boy.” By Mindy Aguon, The Guam Daily Post

Guam reaches Vatican, global audience a year since clergy sex abuse exposed
“Within a year since former altar boy Roy Quintanilla came forward on May 17, 2016 to accuse Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually abusing him in the 1970s, not only has the Vatican promptly stepped in but also placed a global spotlight on Guam’s clergy sex abuses(link is external). ‘We’ve come a long way,’ Quintanilla told Pacific Daily News. ‘We wouldn’t have come this far were it not for the Catholic community’s support. It’s amazing what we can do as a community.’” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News
— 11 Guam Catholic priests involved in sex abuse lawsuits(link is external), By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News, in USA TODAY

Former priest named in suits may reside in Barrigada
“A former Catholic priest who has been named in at least five sex abuse complaints(link is external)may still be residing on island. Raymond Cepeda, a former priest who was defrocked in December 2009 following an investigation into abuse allegations, is believed to be currently residing in Canada, Barrigada, according to attorney Gloria Rudolph, of the Law Office of Lujan and Wolff LLP, which represents the plaintiffs in the cases currently pending in federal court.” By Neil Pang, The Guam Daily Post

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Downward trend in reports of new clerical child sex abuse allegations continues
“The Catholic Church’s child protection watchdog received reports of 72 new allegations of clerical child sex abuse as well as 10 of physical and emotional abuse in the year to March 31st 2017, as a downward trend in such allegations continues … Teresa Devlin, NBSC (National Board for Safeguarding Children) chief executive, noted however that an examination of the downward trend ‘shows we cannot assume the work is complete(link is external).’ Since 2009, when the NBSC began compiling such figures, ‘there have been years where the figures rose and only constant vigilance will keep children safe,’ she said.” By Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times